Portland Committee on Community Based Policing. Bill Resnick talks to Elliott Young, co-chair of the Portland Committee on Community Based Policing (PCCEP). They Discuss the PCCEP Report to the City Council, Reimagining Community Safety: Portland Police Bureau Core Patrol Services. The Report recommends replacing the police as first responders in dealing with the homeless, mental health emergencies, intoxication and addiction and minor traffic violations. They would be replaced by people suited to and experienced in defusing tension and helping people in crisis. With the majority of patrol officer’s time and energy, arrests and use of weapons connected to these encounters, the recommendations, if implemented, would amount to a transformation of Portland’s police. While the police have been totally unyielding in opposing “defunding,” they appear ready to give way to social services as first responders in many of the areas addressed by PCCEP’s recommendations. The interview concludes discussing how the public can have influence as the Mayor and City Council make policy and financing decisions about PCCEP recommendations.
- KBOO