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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2016)
QR code for Portland Observer Online ‘City of Roses’ Volume XLV Number 51 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • December 21, 2016 Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity Campus security at Portland State University draws on diversity and experience as three African American officers formerly with the Portland Police Bureau join a controversial new PSU police force. Pictured (from left) are officers Marci Jackson, PSU Police Chief Phil Zerzan, and officers Vince Elmore and Willie Halliburton. Officers of color ground new PSU police force C hrista M C i ntyre t he P ortland o bserver Two seasoned African American po- lice officers from the city of Portland have been added to a controversial new Portland State University police force, joining an already diverse team. Five of the 12 officers now overseeing campus security are people of color. PSU’s recent decision to hire veteran Officers Marci Jackson and Vince Elmore by on Drawing Experience continues an effort by school administra- tors to bridge the concerns of students, faculty and staff while meeting the safety needs of its campus population. The downtown school is the most recent in the state to create a dedicated police force. But the patrol of armed offi- cers on the campus has drawn the opposi- tion of many people in the PSU commu- nity and other advocates for civil rights across the city. Jackson, a retired police officer from Portland’s black community has demon- strated outreach skills working with diverse neighborhoods. She headed the Portland Police Bureau’s Crisis Re- sponse Team which worked to comfort victims and their families while trying to ease tensions at crime scenes. Jackson has been instrumental in sup- porting “Enough is Enough,” a grass- roots advocate organization for restor- ative justice and changing the culture of silence about crime. With 23 years of police experience, she also helped recruit officers for the Portland Police Bureau, C ontinued on P age 4
