News Roundup June 9-16, 2024
Portland government transition continues to progress, PPB's rapid response team is reinstated and begins training, new series documents Portland's criminal underworld
At a glance:
New election resource: Rose City Reform, which started as a substack, has expanded with a new website, including the best candidate tracker I've seen yet.
Mayor Wheeler is set to take control of all city bureaus on July 1, in a trial run for the new form of government. Willamette Week, OPB
PPB held a press conference to share details on the newly reinstated Rapid Response Team (RRT), which begins training this week. The RRT resigned in protest in 2021 when the DA pressed charges against an RRT officer who hit a photographer in the head with a baton.
Under-the-radar:
CHAOSTOWN produced a video investigation into graffiti and the people fighting it. Another video documented street racing from the inside.
Upcoming events
June 20, 2024 (Thursday) 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: FITCOG MEETING JUNE 20, 2024 (website)
Policing and crime
Highly covered incidents:
Crime trends:
Crime and the impact of crime:
2024-06-15: Willamette Week - Local Web Series Takes You Into the Night With Graffiti Artists as They Tag the Town
2024-06-15: KPTV - Plaid Pantry customer detains thief in SE Portland
2024-06-13: KGW - Street Root's new facility in Portland's Old Town broken into
2024-06-10: KGW - Police chase stolen semi tractor from Portland into Vancouver
Gun violence:
2024-06-14: KATU - Portland Metro Chamber discusses gun violence prevention efforts at monthly breakfast
2024-06-10: KGW - Woman mourns husband who was murdered while driving Uber
Crowd control, protests, and public order policing:
2024-06-13: KPTV - Portland Police’s Rapid Response Team returns
2024-06-13: KGW - Portland police's new team to respond to protests begin training
Police and policing:
2024-06-15: KATU - Portland Police arrest nine in anti-trafficking operation along Southeast 82nd Avenue
2024-06-15: KPTV - 9 arrested, gun seized in human trafficking mission on 82nd Ave.
2024-06-15: KOIN - 9 men arrested, missing woman rescued in prostitution sting
2024-06-14: Oregonian - Portland continues to pump millions into private security contracts
2024-06-11: Oregonian - Portland police release name of officer who shot rifle-wielding suspect in NE Portland
Police-produced media:
2024-06-15: YouTube - Suspect Recklessly Eludes Police, Burglarizes Home, Arrested on Felony Charges
2024-06-13: YouTube - Rapid Response Team Media Event - June 13, 2024
2024-06-12: YouTube - Join the Best - Now Hiring Police Officers
PPB news releases:
2024-06-15: PPB - Portland Police Bureau Seeks Public Input on Directives
2024-06-15: PPB - Victim in February 23 DUII Crash Identified
2024-06-15: PPB - Human Trafficking Mission Results in Arrests of 9 Men
2024-06-14: PPB - SE 82nd Ave Reopening After Fatal Motorcycle Crash
2024-06-14: PPB - Eastbound I-84 Reopens After Fatal Crash Investigation
2024-06-13: PPB - Traffic #ALERT: Double Fatal Motorcycle Crash Investigation Underway on Morrison Bridge
2024-06-11: PPB - $20,000 Reward for Information Remains in Place on 7th Anniversary of Homicide
2024-06-11: PPB - Damage Caused by Shooting Suspect Expected to Exceed $500,000
2024-06-11: PPB - Officer Involved in Shots Fired Incident Identified
2024-06-10: PPB - Suspect Recklessly Eludes Police, Burglarizes Home, Arrested on Felony Charges
Other stories:
2024-06-14: KPTV - Portland Police Chief Bob Day details time as a Pac-12 football official
2024-06-12: Bike Portland - Portland bike theft expert takes down international crime ring
Politics and policy
Portland government transition:
2024-06-13: Willamette Week - Mayor Wheeler to Pull All Bureaus Under His Control Come July 1
2024-06-06: Skanner - Ranked-Choice Voting Expert Grace Ramsey on What Portland Voters Can Expect in November
Criminal justice system:
2024-06-15: Willamette Week - State Police Find Gaps in County Investigation of Jail Deaths
2024-06-13: KGW - Oregon defendants without defense attorney must be released from jail, US appeals court says
2024-06-09: OPB - Judge Hears Arguments Over Whether Oregon Jail Violates Sanctuary Law
City:
2026-06-10: Willamette Week - Portland Debuts Curbside Battery Recycling Service for Some Residents
2024-06-13: KPTV - Cooling Portland: Residents may be eligible for free air conditioning this summer
2024-06-12: Willamette Week - City Council Will Conduct Cost Analyses for Future Ballot Initiatives
2024-06-12: Willamette Week - Former Mayor and Governor Neil Goldschmidt Dies at 83
2024-06-11: OPB - Portland begins building water plant to filter poop and wildfires, but not ‘forever chemicals’
2024-06-11: Willamette Week - Grand Floral Parade Maintains Wide Berth From Downtown Portland
County:
2024-06-16: KOIN - Meghan Moyer talks the race for District 1 Commissioner
2024-06-14: Oregonian - Here’s what every Multnomah County employee got paid in 2023
2024-06-13: OPB - Multnomah County approves new contract with Portland to oversee homeless response agency
2024-06-12: KOIN - MultCo suit against oil companies over 2021 heat dome heads to state court
State:
2024-06-14: Oregonian - Oregon lawmakers want to fix roads and beef up transit. Where will they find the money?
2024-06-14: KGW - Lawmakers grill Oregon Employment Department over claims backlog
2024-06-13: KGW - Auditors detail a year of digging through how Oregon agencies keep track of funds, or fail to
2024-05-09: KGW - Oregon hospitals’ psychiatric care responsibility lawsuit advance
Federal:
Transportation:
Traffic violence:
2024-06-15: KATU - Portland Police name 75-year-old victim in fatal Northeast Marine Drive crash
2024-06-14: KOIN - Latest pedestrian death on Portland freeway highlights safety concerns
2024-06-13: Bike Portland - Road raging drivers have endangered Bike Summer riders at least twice this week
2024-06-13: KGW - 2 dead after motorcycle crash on Morrison Bridge; police investigating
2024-06-13: KGW - 2 dead after motorcycle crash on Portland's Morrison Bridge
ODOT:
Safety improvements:
Nonprofits:
Education:
Economy and business:
Labor:
Business:
Housing and homelessness:
Homelessness response:
2024-06-14: Oregonian - What an architectural expert says about converting empty office towers to housing
2024-06-13: Willamette Week - Multnomah County Board Approves New Plan for Homeless Agency
Other news
Growth and resilience: