After a thorough selection process with much stakeholder input, the City and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have selected the MPS & Associates, led by Mark P. Smith, to serve as Independent Monitor of the Settlement Agreement on policing.
The City and DOJ will ask the Court to appoint the MPS & Associates at its May 15 hearing. The Independent Monitor would be solely responsible for monitoring and reporting to the Court and the community on the City’s compliance with the Settlement Agreement between the United States and the City.
The DOJ and City selected Mark Smith’s team based on its deep expertise in police oversight and constitutional policing practices, high ethical standards, and very real understanding of Portland’s specific community, challenges and progress. As an Associate Monitor on this team, Antoinette Edwards brings decades of experience as a leader in the Portland community, working for equality, non-violence and justice. Her focus will be to ensure an active community voice in the team’s work. Smith and his team will bring fresh eyes and insights to help the City achieve full compliance with the Settlement Agreement, and sustained reforms.
The City Council will vote on accepting the procurement report naming MPS & Associates as the selected candidate on May 2, 2024 at 2:25 p.m.
The City and DOJ launched a thorough recruitment and selection process following the Court’s November 30, 2023, approval of amendments to the Settlement Agreement to create the Independent Monitor position. Those changes also acknowledge the City’s hard work and consistent compliance with a number of terms in the Settlement Agreement and allow focused monitoring in the areas requiring the greatest attention.
The City looks forward to moving forward in this effort and attaining full compliance with the Settlement Agreement in partnership among the parties, the amici, and our community.
Background:
- The MPS & Associates application, and the City and DOJ’s joint motion to the Court to appoint the MPS team are available here.
- Profiles and resumes for each finalist team are available for review here.
- Video of the town hall forum is available here.