PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The issue of body cameras on Portland Police Bureau officers dominated a 4-hour hearing in federal court Tuesday with the Department of Justice.
The City of Portland and the DOJ were in court to provide an update on the 2014 joint settlement agreement that ordered PPB to get body cameras. To date, they have not been implemented.
The city and the Portland Police Association spent more than a year negotiating the rules for body cameras until ending in a stalemate over whether officers should be allowed to review the recordings.
On Tuesday, a DOJ attorney said the body cameras should be livestreamed so a police supervisor can watch officers in the field.
PPA President Aaron Schmautz said he believes both the city and the union agree it is not necessarily useful.
“Sergeants are out in the street, supervising during calls and are also on any call that an officer would be on will be recorded, so the video is available,” Schmautz said.
KOIN Coverage — PPB body cameras
In a statement, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler — who is also the police commissioner — said:
“We appreciated the discussion at today’s hearing. We’re proud of the progress that has been made since the last status conference. We stand ready to collaborate with the DOJ, the Amici, and the community on the work ahead.”
Schmautz and the PPA say in order to avoid arbitration the union and the City of Portland have until this summer to submit their best, final offers.