On March 17 at 3:00 p.m. my "Right to Know Who's Policing You" ordinance will come to the Community & Public Safety Committee, and I'd love to have your support!
If adopted, the legislation would:
Prohibit all law enforcement from wearing facial coverings to conceal their identities while engaging with the public, with exceptions for undercover operations, specific tactical operations, and specific, reasonable health and safety risks.
Require all law enforcement to display visible identification, including name, agency, and badge number.
Allow our local police to verify the identities of unidentified individuals who are attempting to detain Portlanders, and authorize Portland Police to document any such encounters.
The "Right to Know Who's Policing You" ordinance will promote transparency and accountability, which are critical for there to be public trust in law enforcement. That's why many other cities and states are doing the same—like St. Paul, MN and Denver, both of which just passed similar legislation.
It's also why the Oregon State Legislature just passed the Law Enforcement Accountability and Visibility Act, which requires all law enforcement agencies operating in the state to have masking policies and display visible identification. This law sets the floor, not the ceiling, and explicitly says local governments can set stronger policies. I believe Portland should lead on this issue.
You can support this ordinance in three ways.
Sign up to submit written testimony or testify in-person or virtually at the Mar. 17 Community & Public Safety Committee meeting at City Hall.
Email and call the other members of the Community & Public Safety Committee and ask them to vote YES on the "Right to Know Who's Policing You" ordinance.
Spread the word to your fellow Portlanders and on social media using the link bit.ly/RightToKnowPDX and the hashtag #NoSecretPoliceInPortland!
As the federal judge who recently upheld California's identification law said:
"...the Court finds no cognizable justification for law enforcement officers to conceal their identities during their performance of routine, non-exempted law enforcement functions and interactions with the general public."
Every day, I hear from Portlanders asking us to do something, and now the State Legislature has required us to do something. Let's show the City that Portlanders want true community safety by turning out in support of the "Right to Know Who's Policing You"!
In solidarity,
Sameer Kanal
Councilor.Kanal@portlandoregon.gov