A day before cops are set to rally Tuesday morning and collect ballots in a no-confidence vote on her leadership, Police Chief Rosie Sizer sent an email to the entire Police Bureau.
In the email, Sizer apologizes for saying she was “troubled” by a video of Officer Christopher Humphreys bean-bagging a 12-year-old girl at a MAX stop. She also praises rank-and-file officers, who will cast ballots tomorrow of no-confidence toward her and Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman.
The results of the vote are due Friday Monday. Here is the email in full:
From: Sizer, Rosie
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 4:30 PM
To: AllPPBUsers
Subject: Recent EventsAbout recent events…
I have been told by various people inside the Police Bureau that my comment in last Thursday’s press conference that I was “troubled” by the video made the situation more difficult. For that, you have my apologies. It was clearly not my intent.
I think it is crucial at this point that I explain my comment. We have worked hard as an organization on force issues over the last three years. Clearly that work has paid off—force complaints are down almost sixty percent over the last four years and use of force is down along with injury to officers and suspects.
These results have been achieved by a mature organization that has been willing to challenge itself on the issue of not what is just allowable by law but what are the best options when it comes to using force in often chaotic and fast-moving circumstances. These results have been achieved by a mature organization that has been willing to look beyond the narrower perspective of suspect resistance and officer reaction to the totality of the circumstances in a given situation—including seriousness of the crime, opportunity for the suspect to escape, availability of cover, and a myriad of other factors. We factor those matters into our decision making not just because the Supreme Court requires us to do, but also because it’s the right thing to do.
It is through this lens that I viewed the video and decided to initiate an investigation into the entire use of force during the arrest on the 148th Avenue platform under the totality of the circumstances.
I believe that the investigation will reveal more information than is currently available in the video and police reports. At the present, the reports are not releasable under public records law because they are in the custody of the Juvenile Court. We are petitioning the Court to allow us to release the reports in a redacted form.
The case has already been assigned to an IAD investigator and I expect that the investigation will be completed as rapidly and thoroughly as possible. After this investigation is completed, I will decide if the use of force was consistent with policy and training doctrine. We will also use this case to assess our policy and training.
These have been trying times for the Police Bureau. You have made many changes over a short period of time. You have suffered budget cuts that have in some cases taken your precincts away that you considered home. You have had to endure the stresses of a new payroll system. And finally, as individuals and as an organization, we have sustained criticism that often fails to acknowledge the inherent difficulties of the job or the progress we have made.
I want all of you to know that I value the men and women of this organization and believe in the job you do every day.
Rosie Sizer
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Tags: rosie sizer
That’s a good letter, Rosie sounds like a smart and fair Police Chief.
Rosie just doesn’t give a rip any longer…she’ll be retiring in early 2010.
What a bunch of psychos these police union guys are. Freaking out because the chief was “troubled” by cops shooting a 12-year-old girl with beanbags. Us rank-and-file citizens ought to be appalled at what hubris and lack of humility the police union has.
Chief Sizer is being a total coward! This was clearly a case of excessive force yet again! The problem is in the lack of suitable police training and accountability. I don’t believe for ONE second that 2 grown men who are trained in physical restraint are feeling so threatened by a 12-year-old girl that they must resort to firing a weapon. If so, then they shouldn’t be police officers since they’ll face even stronger and more dangerous criminals. The police are protesting ONLY because they are being held accountable for their actions. Chief Sizer, GROW A COUPLE and standup for principles. Give your police members better training and hold them accountable.
What a damned, filthy coward Sizer is! How about you apologize to the family of James Chasse! Why don’t you apologize to that 12 year old girl who was assaulted by one of the thugs you’re suppose to over-see?! Portland cops – what a damned joke!
The girl was excluded from the MAX system before, so she wasn’t someone who liked to follow the rules. She resisted arrest by a police officer by using physical force.
She has a bruise on her leg. You call that excessive force? That’s the reason those weapons exist.
That’s like saying “waterboarding” is okay.
The girl Humphries circled like a VULTURE, with the obvious intention of using the riot shotgun on…. at close range…. in the groin/thigh area…… is 12.
We are damn lucky Humphries did not hit her in the stomach, throat, ear, temple and/or face. IMO, what he did was UNNECESSARY and a form of sadistic torture.
This schmuck needs to be evaluated right along with all the other schmucks that enabled him to move ob after commtting his second “mistake. Our local union subsidized “justice system”. What a beaut she is. Basically terrorism on domestic soil. You would not believe all the things these thugs and our local officials have engaged in, in order to keep the status quo.
[...] Humphreys” and “No Leadership Confidence,” a nod to the union’s ongoing no-confidence vote against Chief Rosie Sizer and Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman (Mayor Sam Adams assigned the police [...]
Let’s get some perspective here – we don’t know any more than has been shared through the media (always a reliable source of objective information) and the information being used to conduct the investigation isn’t public record yet so maybe we hold off on condemning anyone until we have most if not all of the facts? (what a concept!).
As for the Chief, as long as the office is political in nature and the union wields as much unbridled power and influence as they do, whomever is Chief will have their hands (or pair) tied. That’s the concept behind the “Independent” Police Review (again – what a concept!) which in reality is pretty much toothless. Another debate for another time.
If only we had a few rational folks willing to step into this situation and make some changes that didn’t violate anyone’s marked territory but protected the safety and security of all sides (o wait, that should be Commissioner Saltzman, no?) Instead we have a bunch of hotheads who, if it weren’t for jumping to conclusions and judgments, wouldn’t get any exercise at all!
You think we’re going to hear the TRUE story?Not on your life. They lie. I have seen it. It happens ALL THE TIME. The girl, aka the victim, will be portrayed as a low-life, and further PROFILED and ABUSED by our local union subsidized justice system.
The investigation will operate QUIETLY behind the scenes, probably managed by the same folks who recently conducted an investigation on Leonard and/or Adams.
Imo, we already should know the outcome, as “the fix” is in. Investigators will spend their entire investigation on finding fault with the victim.
Is this what we want our government officials and tax payer subsidized investigations doing, when we find a union employee and/or offical has done something wrong. Absolutely not.
Wake-up gmarschke! Or should I say wake-up union representative….?
I vote NO-CONFIDENCE in Chief Sizer and the PPB. If Officer Chasse would’ve been indicted for the Chasse murder, this 12-year-old girl would not have been subjected to excessive police force. A different cop would’ve “hopefully” used their training subdued her without resorting to weapons.
If a supervisor can’t “say” she is troubled by a repeat police offender, whose been previously involved in a mistaken beating (30 strikes with a baton $90,000 payout to the victim, with NO ADMISSION OF FAULT?????????? WTH?), the subsequent death of a mentally ill man who this same officer is reported to have denied mercy amd signed the victim’s right to medical assistance away and again with no discipline, which freed him to go on to shoot an UNRULY 12 year-old at close range in the thigh/groin area with a riot shotgun, what do we have supervisors for?
Supervisors are in place to protect both the police, and correct me if I am wrong, the officers employers….WE THE PUBLIC.
Clean house. Get rid of the unions and let’s manage these heinous inhumane “issues” our self. The “stuff” union officials and figurehead bought-off officials enable.
Who provided counsel to the girl and her parents?
Isn’t Judge Garr King’s purpose for not releasing the full results of the Chasse investigation moot? The city enabled this guy.
It is critical that the public know they are safe. Understanding Humphries preclivities towards minorities, the mentally ill and the public may prevent another unfortunate mishap in the future.
This guy’s latest use of force should have already SEALED the city’s fate in any reasonable person’s mind. If our authorities and stewards of the court are not going to protect us, we need to advocate for ourselves. Seeing all those cops lined-up supporting this man is scary actually.
What’s next? Whose next?
The thing all of you DON’T know is the other side. Your comments prove that the truth is NEVER reported. Of all of the people that the police come in contact with do you know how many end up in a violent situations? Very few. Do you know why officers use force? Because a person is resisting aka hitting them, carrying weapons, subjecting them to God knows what disease, waiting on the other side of the fence with a knife for them and trust me much much worse. They use force to control the situation and the person. The girl you are referring to was not allowed on the max anymore because of consistent problems she was causing. She is larger than a lot of adult women and she suffered a bruise to the thigh for her behavior. It could have been a lot worse. It disgusts me to see the news reports on these so called vicitims of the police, what the news fails to mention is this person beats his wife, or this person left her kids at home to go out and buy drugs, or this person sells drugs to children, or this girl was cronic problem for people on the max. It’s always what a wonderful citizen this person was or is. IF that were true why would they be having such awful run ins with the police? Do you think police go out and look for innocent people to harass, really this is a big city with the third highest crime rate in the NATION. I never watch the news, I never look at posts because it makes me sick that I say goodbye to my husband every day and pray he comes home at night to me and our children, knowing what he is up against every day. I only logged on to the news tonight to read about the 4 officers just shot in Washington and to imagine what the families must be going through. Most people who comment like they do in these posts have no idea what the officers face every day. It makes me sad that you live under the safety these officers provide for you and then disrespect them so openly. The officers need support, if they don’t get it, I’ll tell you what will happen. One day when YOU need them to risk their life to save your spouse, child or maybe yourself, they might just hesitate because they know that the city won’t support them in their actions and it won’t be worth it.