Oregon AG forms police profiling working group
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Wednesday the nine other members of the Law Enforcement Profiling Work Group, a panel formed at the direction of state lawmakers to review the issue.
The work group was established by House Bill 2002, which Governor Kate Brown signed into law on July 13.
The appointed members were selected by Governor Brown, House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney. The work group was created to propose ways to detect patterns of improper profiling, and to help eliminate the practice.
The law defines profiling as law enforcement targeting of a person based on the following improper factors: age, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, language, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religion, homelessness or disability.
“I am pleased that the Legislature has tasked me and my Civil Rights Unit with leading this outstanding group of Oregonians on a project of such critical importance to our communities,” said Rosenblum.
Rosenblum will chair the work group, which will hold its first meeting in September. She will be joined by the following members:
John Haroldson (Benton County District Attorney)
Kayse Jama (Center for Intercultural Organizing)
Anil Karia (Portland Police Association)
Kimberly McCullough (American Civil Liberties Union)
Jason Myers (Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
Brook Reinhard (Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association)
Constantin Severe (Portland City Independent Police Review Board)
John Teague (Keizer Police Department)
Irma Valdez (Attorney, Private Practice)
Oregon Department of Justice Civil Rights Director Erious Johnson, Jr. and Legislative Director Aaron Knott will provide support to the work group. A final report to the legislature is due December 1.
Meetings of the work group will be open to the public. Dates and locations will be announced later. For more information, contact the Oregon Attorney General’s Office at 503-378-6002, or AttorneyGeneral@state.or.us.
