The Oregonian
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Starting next month, Portland police officers will be required to write a report each time they point a firearm at a suspect or use any other action that could cause injury.
The new “use of force” reports are Chief Derrick Foxworth’s attempt to respond to overwhelming criticism for the two recent police shootings of unarmed black motorists.
By requiring documentation each time an officer points a firearm, Foxworth is also addressing one of the 89 recommendations offered by outside consultants who studied 3 1/2 years of police shootings in Portland.
In its report, the Los Angeles-based Police Assessment Resource Center wrote that even just drawing a firearm can increase the likelihood that deadly force would result.
The new mandatory reports, which officers must fill out before the end of their shifts, cover everything from the use of control holds to flashlights, pepper spray, Tasers and assault rifles. There is also a check box for handcuffs. Hands and feet are listed as “impact weapons.”
Many resident serving on a joint police-community team reviewing police policy called for the use of force reports last year, even as officers on the panel opposed the idea.
Pulling a weapon, community members said, is a weighty decision that needs to be explained each time.
But union leaders said they are concerned about the impact of the new policy. The extra report writing, they say, will inhibit officers from using force when it is necessary, putting themselves in harm’s way.
“It’s one more worry for guys who are pretty much working on overload,” said Leo Painton, a union officer.
Foxworth discounted their concerns, saying: “Once officers become comfortable doing this, they will see the value in it.”
Many police agencies in Oregon, as well as nationwide, already document the use of force, he added. Foxworth said he wants Portland’s report “to meet or exceed the national standard.”