Portland Police Association unveils “Having Enough Police Matters” campaign.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
The Portland Police Association unveiled its “Having Enough Police Matters” campaign with a billboard across the street from a longstanding “Black Lives Matter” banner.
The billboard is a part of an effort to pressure the city council into approving the use of more officers.
“Inadequate staffing in the Police Bureau is hurting our communities and putting all of us at risk. Nothing is more basic to the livability of a city than public safety. We need City Council to take immediate action to fix this critical staffing shortage. Our city and our officers deserve better,” says PPA President Daryl Turner, a Portland police sergeant.
Mayor Charlie Hales admits there are current and upcoming vacancies in the bureau that need to be filled. Hales, who is in charge of the bureau, says steps are being taken to accelerate the hiring of new officers, according to his spokeswoman, Sara Hottman.
(SOURCE: Portland Tribune)
The union is claiming the placement of the inflammatory billboard was coincidental.
[Communications professional] Stacey Dycus said she sees absolutely no reason why anyone would connect the “Black Lives Matter” banner to the “Having Enough Police Matters” sign down the block, and asked the Mercury to explain. We did, citing the fact that [PPA president Daryl] Turner has blamed various movements around the country—movements not unlike the Black Lives Matter effort—as causing a “culture of hatred toward law enforcement nationwide.” Dycus said there was no connection.
“No one has seen the billboards because the campaign is brand new starting this week,” Dycus said. “The locations were selected at random based on availability form the billboard company.”
(SOURCE: Portland Mercury)
