For the last decade the subject of putting body cameras on Portland police officers has been a topic of discussion with no resolution, until now. The setback has been blamed on the hefty cost, something other local police departments have overcome by getting grants from the U.S. Department of Justice. According to a Department of Justice spokesperson, the City of Portland has never applied for the grant. But that may not be the case much longer.
Locally, our own Beaverton police department has been using body cams since 2015 after the department was given a grant worth $150,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice. That money was put towards training, data storage and cameras. According to the Beaverton police department policy on body cameras uniformed officers and supervisors must wear body cameras while on patrol. The officers are required to activate the cameras whenever they have probable cause or reasonable suspicion that an offense has been, or will be, committed by a person in contact with the officer.
Among the 75 largest municipal law enforcement agencies in the country, Portland PD is the only police department that doesn’t use body cams. “As one of the last major cities whose police force is operating without this tool and heading towards a historically high homicide [rate], this conversation is past due,” said City Commissioner Mingus Mapps. “Fortunately, with both the DOJ and the [police union] pushing for a program, it’s all but certain that the city will fund a body-worn camera program this year.”
Portland mayor Ted Wheeler has been vocal about supporting the program. Spokesperson Rich Chatman said, “The mayor is working to get body-worn cameras on Portland police officers as soon as possible. He recognizes that this equipment is important for the city of Portland to have a police force that is accountable and transparent.”
Photo Credit: Tony Webster
