Running toward TrackTown Summer Series — SEE SPORTS, B1 PortlandTUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015 • TWICE CHOSEN THE NATION’S BEST NONDAILY PAPER •Tribune PORTLANDTRIBUNE.COM • PUBLISHED TUESDAY AND THURSDAY City’s thin blue line is getting thinner Among those are 95 sworn have fallen below minimum reau through the ongoing pub- Despite Portland’s positions, including rank-and- safety levels, endangering both lic engagement process that is file patrol officers. These de- offi cers and city residents daily. part of the city’s excessive population growth, creases have occurred while the “We’re just one catastrophic force settlement with the U.S. population of the city has in- event away from an offi cer or an Department of Justice. police ranks shrink creased by nearly 74,000 people. innocent civilian being killed,” “We are discussing what ex- Six more The figures support com- says Turner, who worked as an actly the community wants the offi cers By JIM REDDEN plaints by Portland Police As- offi cer before being elected to police bureau to look like,” were The Tribune sociation President Daryl Turn- head the police union. Wesson-Mitchell says. recently er, who says offi cers are strug- Deanna Wesson-Mitchell, In the meantime, Wesson- assigned to The Portland Police Bu- gling to respond to a spike in Mayor Charlie Hales’ policy ad- Mitchell admits the number of the Gang reau has lost 190 positions gang violence and to increase viser on police issues, says she authorized Portland Police Bu- Enforcement since 2001, according to city traffi c enforcement as required cannot legally comment on the reau positions has gone down Team after personnel fi gures recently by the city’s new Vision Zero specifi cs of the grievance. How- over the years. She says the bu- a spike in obtained by the Portland accident-prevention policy. The ever, Wesson-Mitchell says reau is gearing up to increase shootings. Tribune through a public re- union fi led a grievance on July Hales will determine the best TRIBUNE cords request. 16, charging that patrol shifts future size and shape of the bu- See POLICE / Page 2 FILE PHOTO Leading the charge on climate change Renew Oregon ON DEFENSE puts money, staff While Renew Oregon tries to sow the seeds for future battles on cli- mate change, it may face the need behind effort to to play defense. shift opinions Oil companies have tenaciously fought low-carbon fuel standards By STEVE LAW in California and Oregon, and may The Tribune bankroll a referendum campaign to kill the measure at the polls. Oregon environmentalists Doug Moore declined to say if Renew Oregon would take a lead- have quietly formed a new ership role in such a campaign if political arm to spearhead a it’s needed. game-changing campaign against global warming. The new group, Renew Or- “We’re trying to decide what egon, has raised more than $1 the best path forward is, million and bulked up with 10 whether it’s the Legislature or full-time organizers and other at the ballot.” staff. Progressive businessman “Basically, think of it as an Nik Blosser helped organize organizing arm around climate the coalition, and recruited for- for the environmental commu- mer gay rights organizer nity,” says Doug Moore, execu- Thomas Wheatley to direct Re- tive director of the Oregon new Oregon. Blosser says he League of Conservation Voters. wanted a leader from outside “It’s quite an undertaking.” the environmental movement Ronell Manguino, The Oregon League of Con- who could bring fresh eyes to middle, celebrates a servation Voters, Oregon Envi- the issues. win in a friendly ronmental Council, Climate Climate change is a business competition during the Solutions and business sup- issue for Oregon’s wine indus- APANO Ally of Social porters have worked for the try, says Blosser, board chair- Justice Bootcamp past year and a half to raise man of his family’s Sokol Bloss- JADE DISTRICT graduation last week. money and create Renew Ore- er Winery. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: gon, realizing the task was big- “We have bloom this year a JONATHAN HOUSE ger than any one of them could full month earlier than usual,” accomplish on their own, he says. GETS READY TO SHINE Moore says. No state has more environ- A NEW VISION “We’re aiming to be the mentally minded voters than Temporary space at leading voice for climate in Oregon, Moore contends, yet Speci cally, the Jade Oregon,” says Brad Reed, Re- that’s not always refl ected in District vision report new Oregon’s newly named 82nd and Division calls for: communications director. See CLIMATE / Page 3 ■ Road improve- is community hub ments such as add- ing wide sidewalks By JENNIFER ANDERSON that connect to the The Tribune existing network at the northeast corner n late June, dozens of of Southeast 82nd residents gathered in and Division, as well Southeast Portland for as stormwater plant- ing strips, multilin- Tell It Slant, a monthly gual signage and reading series for writ- street trees. Iers to share stories about ■ East-west pedestri- their experiences with gentri- an connections fi cation and dual identity. across 82nd Avenue, Just as signifi cant as the Bootcamp graduates link arms at their gathering last week. at key sites including topic was the location of the Southeast Harrison event: A community space on ing the space — a long-vacant The Jade District moved in Street, PCC, Clinton Southeast 82nd Avenue and furniture store with the “furni- after Metro’s Transit-Oriented and Tibbetts. ■ Division Street, the heart of ture” sign in neon letters still Development Program — North-south pedes- trian and bicyclist what’s known as the Jade Dis- out front — as their own site which invests in properties connections to 87th trict. for events like taiko drum- and developments near transit Avenue from Powell “There’s always some other ming, community forums and — purchased the half-acre to Division. space, but it wouldn’t have the art-fi lled placemaking activi- site, including the 8,000 ■ A community cen- same impact,” says Todd Stru- ties like the reading series. square-foot building that sits ter and co-located ble, an attorney who serves as The space is affectionately on it. park with access to the Jade District manager at known as “JAMS,” an acronym “When we heard they were bus, bikes and car the Asian Pacifi c American for Jade APANO Multicultural going to purchase it ... instead transportation, where TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO programs could be Network of Oregon. Space. of fencing it off and leaving it integrated. Alex Blosser helps run the family-owned Sokol Blosser Winery in In December, Jade District But as valuable as the space Dayton, Ore. In the winery business, climate change is an economic leaders and groups began us- is, it’s only temporary. See JADE / Page 2 issue, not just an environmental issue. “Pamplin Media Group’s pledge is to Portland Tribune deliver balanced news that re ects the PEAK OF HER POWER stories of our communities. Thank you — SEE LIFE, PAGE B10 for reading our newspapers.” Inside — DR. ROBERT B. PAMPLIN JR. OWNER & NEIGHBOR On exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society June 26 – December 7, 2015 A WORLD AT WAR, A STATE TRANSFORMED 514965.070715 www.ohs.org A2 NEWS The Portland Tribune Tuesday, July 7, 2015 Police: Hiring process 2005 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 POLICE OFFICER STAFFING 1,050 ■ Budgeted ■ Filled ■ Filled usually takes two years positions positions staf ng (sworn (sworn data says Hales is committed to preventing of cers) of cers) unavailable ■ 1,000 From page 1 that number from growing even larg- for 2006 er. That is the main reason for hiring hiring by adding 11 more employees to the 11 new employees to conduct conduct background examinations on background checks. 950 applicants in the near future. But Turner says simply preventing Wesson-Mitchell says the hirings vacancies from increasing isn’t good are not part of a plan to signifi cantly enough. He notes that Portland’s pop- 900 increase the number of patrol offi cers, ulation has been growing while the however. They are intended to help number of authorized and fi lled posi- replace the 50 or so offi cers expected tions has been shrinking. The city to retire this year. grew from 531,600 residents in 2001 to 0 “Background examinations are 601,510 residents in 2014, the most re- 556 562 568 576 582 584 586 588 593 601 very time-consuming and we want to cent year for which U.S. Census fi g- eliminate that potential bottleneck,” ures are available. POPULATION Wesson-Mitchell says. Turner testifi ed on Hales’ proposed (in thousands) budget on April 8, shortly after bureau Budget vs. reality commanders transferred six offi cers and the council on community rela- The newly released information to the Gang Enforcement Team be- tions and police accountability issues. shows the number of authorized posi- cause of an increase in gang-related According to Wesson-Mitchell, even tions in the Portland Police Bureau violence. At that time, Turner said the Offi cer stabbed, suspect if Hales and the council want to sub- has dropped from 1,361 in the 2001 fi s- bureau needed 700 more offi cers just stantially increase the number of offi - cal year to 1,171 in the fi scal year that to reach the national average of 2.7 cers patrolling Portland streets, the ended on June 30. per 1000 residents. shot in Sunday altercation hiring process takes approximately The number of sworn offi cers fell Instead, the council only approved By JIM REDDEN aggravated murder when he is re- two years, including the time appli- from 1,039 to 944 — a loss of 95 posi- adding fi ve more offi cers, in addition The Tribune leased into custody.