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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2016)
York Powerful performance comes to Jefferson High QR code for Portland Observer Online ‘City of Roses’ See Metro, page 9 Volume XLV Number 10 Genocide in Africa Portland director tackles incendiary play See Local News, page 3 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • March 9, 2016 Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity Photo by b eth n akamura /t he o regonian via W hite h ouse / Pool U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch smiles as she visits George Middle School in north Portland Thursday. Lynch was in the city to highlight community policing partner- ships, like the school’s youth gang and violence prevention program where police officers teach skills to help students resist gangs and violence. More work to do, top law enforcement official says m iChael l eighton P ortland o bserver e ditor Portland is making some progress in addressing unfair outcomes as it relates to racism in the local criminal jus- tice system, but more work is needed, according to the nation’s top law enforcement official. by Policing in Focus Attorney General of the United States Loretta Lynch, President Obama’s chief law enforcement official, recog- nized the city’s efforts to address police issues during a visit to the Rose City on Thursday. Lynch said the Portland Police Bureau has improve- ments to make in how it engages with local residents, in- cluding Portland’s black community, but pointed to some of the actions the city has already taken as “a positive work in progress.” A 2012 investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found Portland police engaged in a pattern of excessive force against the mentally ill. Changes to Portland poli- cies, training and oversight are coming as part of a nego- tiated settlement of a lawsuit that was generated by the federal probe. C ontinued on P age 2