Members of the media,
Please see a statement below from Mayor Wheeler regarding today’s City Council session and testimony.
“I want to thank Commissioners Hardesty and Eudaly – and everyone who testified before Council -- for raising very important and pressing issues about the critical need to reform public safety. Their leadership elevates important voices that need to be heard. Their tenacity is ensuring all of us are held accountable. They deserve our respect and appreciation.
We all agree that many Black and other people of color in Portland don’t feel safe or well served by the Portland Police. That’s why it’s so important that we get this right.
It’s clear the proposals on the table have captured the will and the interest of many in our community. It’s our job to ensure that any decisions we make result in the change we all want to see. Several members of the City Council, including me, have questions that require answers before we can be assured that will be the case.
I know every member of the Council is committed to this work. We will make changes. We will adopt reforms. And, to do that well, we need to listen to everyone and ensure that we have a shared understanding of what will happen as a result of our decisions.
That’s why a majority of the Council agreed to take a few more days to learn more, to continue to listen, and to ensure we move forward in a way that guarantees that we improve the safety of Black Portlanders and everyone else in our community.”
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