March 26, 2014
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O pinion
Hip Hop Disconnect
pages 8-9
H ealth
C alendar
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page 7
S ports
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M ETRO
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ENIEDUINMENI
pages 12-16
R eligion
C lassifieds
F ood
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Police review
director updates
investigation
by D onovan M. S mith
T he P ortland O bserver
The turmoil that has erupted be
tween the Portland Police Bureau
and a community of entertainers
catering to the Hip-Hop scene has
gained new eyes and ears.
The subject is now before the
Independent Police Review Board,
currently headed by Constantin
Sever, a lawyer and first generation
Haitian-American transplant.
Sever estimates that his office
has received about 10 informal com
plaints regarding a police presence
at Hip Hop events in the last year.
Most of the input has come from of
phone calls expressing dism ay
rather than getting at any specifics.
He says the recent Department of
Justice stipulation on police use of
force polices gives his office more
weight to investigate police com
plaints, including provisions that
photo by D onovan M. S mith /T he P ortland O bserver
the IPR board complete more inves
Constantin Sever, director of Portland’s Independent Police
tigations, reviews, and reports on
Review Board, says that recent reports about heavy-handed
an annual basis.
enforcement at Hip-Hop related events has caused his office to
As part o f the settlement over the
launch an official review of Police Bureau practices.
police brutality issues relating to
people with mental health issues, practice,” Sever says.
tory of mistrust between some mem
Severe now has five investigators,
Since launching the review ear bers of the Police Bureau and the
doubling the board’s previous in lier this month, Sever says that there Hip Hop crowd, especially for per
vestigative workforce. The IPR have been no formal or written com sons of color.
Board serves under the direction of plaints received at his office. People
“We have a special obligation to
the City Auditor office.
directly involved or affected by treat them in an equitable way that
Sever says the police and hip these events have been particularly recognizes the history there and
hop investigation will differ from less responsive to take part.
that we have an ongoing outreach
most o f the review board’s work,
“W e’re trying to talk to every effort," he says.
because it looks at police conduct one, the police officers, the people
Ultimately, Sever says people
from a systematic point of view rather from ONI [Office of Neighborhood must advocate for themselves.
than the conduct of a single officer Involvement) and all the different
To contact the Independent Po
or police unit. In other words, are organizations. W e’d like to reach lice Review Board with concerns or
police treating people the same at out to members of the Hip Hop com information, call 503-823-0146. To
Hip Hop shows as with other enter munity whether you’re a performer file a complaint or commendation
tainment in the city?
or a promoter.”
online, visit portlandonline.gov/
“We wanna look at the whole
He acknowledges there’s a his auditor.
Jimmy Carter Making Portland Visit
President Jimmy Carterwillbein permitted into the line. Carter, 86, lence against women and girls is
town Sunday, March 30 to sign will start signing the books at 2 p.m. "the most serious, pervasive and
copies of his new book “A Call to
“A Call to Action” is Carter's ignored violation of basic human
Action: Women, Religion, Violence, report on the worldwide abuse of rights."
and Power” at Powell’s City of women and girls and uses personal
His most recent memoir, released
Books, 1005 W. Burnside St.
examples from his travels to call March 25, is the 30th publication for
Only those with a newly pur attention to the problem. Carter be the former head of state’s bibliogra
chased copy of the book will be lieves that discrimination and vio phy.