Dozens of Portlanders turned out for a federal hearing on the Portland Police Bureau. The U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a civil rights investigation on the Bureau's use of force.
Amanda Marshall at meeting Feb. 28, 2012.
April Baer / OPB
Some who testified called police heroes. But others told stories about traffic stops and mental health emergencies turned violent. Most of those who spoke said the Justice Department needs to rein in the city's police.
Others asked for more training for police, or a wider safety net for people with mental illness.
Dr. LeRoy Haynes of the Albina Ministerial Alliance said he'd like more opportunities for the investigators to hear from Portlanders on the margins.
Haynes said, "We're still not touching everyone. Many people are intimidated about speaking out against the Portland Police Bureau in a public setting. We have to find another avenue for those voices to be heard."
Those who made it to the St. Johns Community Center on the city's far north end got to talk directly to Amanda Marshall, the U.S. Attorney for Oregon. A number of attendees criticized the venue as too distant and hard to find.
