PROCESS
PROCESS UNTIL LAST MONTH, SO, LONG STORY SHORT, THEY ARE
DEALING WITH TYPICAL
BUREAUCRATIC DELAYS
BUREAUCRATIC DELAYS >>> IN 28 DAYS PORTLAND HOLD
ANOTHER ELECTION, THIS ONE TO
FILL THE EMPTY CITY COUNCIL SEAT
. NOW WE NARROW THE RESTAURANT
AFTER THE MAY PRIMARY FROM 18
CANDIDATES TO 2. SMITH HAS
YEARS OF POLITICAL EXPERIENCE
BEHIND HER RUNNING AGAINST A
FIRST-TIME CANDIDATE BRIAN.
BETWEEN COVID-19, OUR ECONOMIC
CRISIS, THE PUSH FOR RESULT
JUSTICE, WHOEVER FILLS LINDSEY,
COULD HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY
IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF THIS
CITY.
CITY.
CITY. BECAUSE ALL THREE OF THOSE
ISSUES ARE EXTREMELY LOCAL,
THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
RACE.
RACE.
RACE. I
RACE. I HAD AN INTERVIEW FRIDAY, AND
WE TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THOSE
ISSUES AND MORE.
TODAY WE WILL SHARE THEIR
THOUGHTS ON THE MOVEMENT TO
DEFUND THE POLICE BEGINNING
WITH ARATA SMITH.
>>> HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
DEFUNDING THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. >>: IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
DEFUNDING THE ENTIRE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, I THINK THAT IS A
MISTAKE A BIT IF WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT RESOURCING SOME OF THOSE
DOLLARS, LIKE I SAID AND
SUGGESTED IN MY POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY REFORM, I THINK
THAT IS SO MUCH NEED IT.
THAT IS A BETTER USE OF THOSE
FUNDS.
FUNDS.
FUNDS. I
FUNDS. I CALLED FOR 20% OF THE POLICE
BUDGET TO BE PUT INTO OTHER
LACES THAT WE CAN HELP IMMUNITY
MEMBERS, AND TO HELP THOSE
COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE
BETTER HOUSING, TO HAVE BETTER
EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND
THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND, I ALSO CALLED IN THAT SAME
PACKAGE, FOR QUALIFIED IMMUNITY
TO GO AWAY, AND, TO STOP THE
CHOKEHOLD'S AND RUBBER BULLETS,
AND TEAR GASSING.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK
ARE IMPORTANT.
ARE IMPORTANT. AND FOURTH POINT WAS TO
ACTUALLY HAVE A CITIZEN'S
REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND THIS IS A
PERMANENT COMMITTEE.
PERMANENT COMMITTEE. AND, THIS IS A COMMITTEE THAT I
THINK WE NEED TO PUT ON THE
BALLOT IN NOVEMBER, SO THAT IT
IS IN THE CODE AND ANYONE WHO
IS IN LEADERSHIP AND AT THE
CITY OF PORTLAND HAVE
CITIZENSHIP INVOLVEMENT.
CITIZENSHIP INVOLVEMENT. I THINK THAT IS KEY AND
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. >> SMITH ALSO TOLD ME SHE ISN'T
SURE WHETHER SHE CONSIDERS WHAT
IS HAPPENING LIGHTLY DOWNTOWN
AS RIOTING.
AS RIOTING. IN HER VIEW IT IS MOSTLY WHITE
DEMONSTRATORS CO-OPTING BLACK
LIVES MATTER, AND TAKING THE
OPPORTUNITY TO LOOT AND DO
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE. IT IS THE POLICE, SHE SAYS, WHO
ARE ESCALATING THINGS INTO WHAT
WE ARE SEEING.
AS PER MY CONVERSATION LAST
NIGHT WITH HER OPPONENTS, DAN
RYAN SET A FEW DIFFERENT TIMES
THAT HE SOUGHT THE CRISES WE
WERE FACING AS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO MAKE MAJOR CHANGE.
I ASKED HIM HIS TAKE ON
DEFUNDING THE POLICE.
>> I THINK THE TERM I LIKE TO
SAY IS I WANT TO REPURPOSE THE
PUBLIC'S INVESTMENT FOR OUR
COMMUNITY SAFETY.
COMMUNITY SAFETY. I THINK THAT WE HAVE HAD TOO
MUCH INVESTMENT JUST IN ONE
ASPECT OF IT, BUT HAS PROVEN TO
BE A CULTURE THAT HAS TO TOO
MUCH MILITARY FORCE TO IT.
I HAVE BEEN IN PROTEST MYSELF,
WHERE I FEEL LIKE I AM A PRETTY
PEACEFUL AND OPTIMISTIC PERSON,
I AM THERE FOR THE RIGHT
REASONS AND SUDDENLY THE
ARMORED GEAR COMES OUT AND IT
REALLY TRIGGERS YOU.
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW IT
MAKES YOU AGITATED.
SO, WE HAVE BEEN EXPRESSING
THAT FOR SOME TIME.
THE FACT IS, IT IS NOT WORKING
ANYMORE, WE HAVE NOW FINALLY
HAD AN UPRISING WHERE PEOPLE
ARE BELIEVING WHAT PEOPLE FROM
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN
ESPECIALLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
FOR DECADES.
FOR DECADES. AND, YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT GO
BACK NOW, THERE IS A CRITICAL
MASS OF ATTITUDE FOR VALUES
THAT ARE CLEAR AND THE CULTURE
OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS TO
RADICALLY CHANGE. AND, WE
CANNOT DO THAT JUST BY FOCUSING
ON THEM, WE HAVE TO BUILD AND
REIMAGINE A COMMUNITY SAFETY
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. I
SYSTEM. I LIKE TO REPURPOSE $50 MILLION
FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT INTO
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS LIKE
PORTLAND STREET RESPONSE, WE
HAVE MORE PEOPLE ON THE STREET
THAT ARE ACTUALLY TRAUMA
INFORMED AND HAD DE-ESCALATION
SKILLS.
SKILLS.
SKILLS. >> DAN RYAN AND LIBRETTIST
SMITH ARE RUNNING TO FILL A
POSITION ON THE CITY
COMMISSION.
COMMISSION. WHOEVER WINS WILL TAKE OVER THE
REMAINDER OF NICK VICIOUS TURN.
THIS GOES AUGUST 11, YOU CAN
WATCH MY EXTENDED INTERVIEWS