News
Chief
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in the city of Portland for 20 years, he said,
although he has now moved just south of
Oregon City so his wife can have a horse.
Asked what would be the worst thing Port-
landers might discover about him, he said
that after 28 years on the force, Portlanders
know pretty much everything about him.
O’Dea joined the Portland Police Bureau
in 1986. He has been a uniformed patrol
officer,
sergeant,
lieutenant,
and
captain. Read O’Dea’s bio here.
The Human Rights Commission issued a
statement saying O’Dea is known for his
support of equity and inclusion.
“Chief O’Dea’s compassion, empathy,
‘Increased diversity in the Bureau will improve
community trust and improve the way
we think and work’
cal in managing all of our major initiatives.
“Lastly, it is very important to me to be
fiscally responsible. People work very hard
and pay a lot of taxes. As the biggest Gen-
eral Fund Bureau, it is very important to me
that every dollar we spend is needed and
used wisely.”
On the weekends O’Dea builds homes as
a Habitat for Humanity volunteer. He lived
PHOTO BY HELEN SILVIS
have them work together on their priori-
ties
to build safer and healthier
neighborhoods to better meet community
needs.”
“I also want to increase diversity in the
Bureau and in the Bureau’s leadership.
Every community member should be able to
look at the Bureau and see someone who
shares their same culture and background.
Increased diversity in the Bureau will
improve community trust and improve the
way we think and work.
“I also want to focus on increasing com-
munication and collaboration both
internally and externally. This will be criti-
and understanding; qualities that will serve
the Police Bureau and community well,”
commissioners said in a press release.
“We hope to see him continue the suc-
cessful work that has been accomplished
around racial equity through the HRC’s
Community and Police Relations Commit-
tee, such as the institutional racism trainings
that have been provided to command staff
O’Dea says he wants to increase diversity in the Bureau and in the Bureau’s
leadership.
and sergeants. Asst. Chief O’Dea has been
instrumental as both a member of the CPRC
and command staff in moving this work for-
ward and has communicated his vision of a
shift from enforcement policing to relation-
ship-based policing.”
Chief Reese said now is the right time for
a handover, as the bureau finalizes its com-
mitments to the Department of Justice
settlement agreement by hiring a Compli-
ance Officer/Community Liaison and
creating a Community Advisory Board.
proposition authorizes regular property
taxes above RCW 84.55 limits, allowing
additional 2015 collection of up to
$14,566,630 (approximately 11¢ per $1,000
assessed value), totaling $58,266,518 over
four years.
islature.
Measure 88 upholds four-year driver
licenses for those who cannot prove legal
presence in the United States.
Measure 89 guarantees equal rights
regardless of sex.
Measure 90 creates an open, top-two pri-
mary election system.
Measure 91 legalizes recreational mari-
juana; tasks Oregon Liquor Control
Commission with regulation of its sale.
Measure 92 mandates labeling of certain
foodstuffs that contain genetically modified
organisms.
Requires revote in 2030 to remain effective.
This prohibition was approved by voters in
2002 and is required by Metro Charter to be
voted on again at the November 2014 gen-
eral election. A “yes” vote on this measure
would retain the prohibition for 16 years; a
“no” vote repeals the prohibition on June
30, 2015.
Ballot
continued from page 1
City of Seattle Ballot Measures
Simple Majority as to the first question; if
first question is approved, then the option
with the most votes as to second question
(Seattle City Charter, article IV)
Proposition Numbers 1A and 1B
Proposition 1A (submitted by Initiative
Petition No. 107) and Proposition 1B
(alternative proposed by the City Council
and Mayor) concern early learning pro-
grams and providers of such services for
children.
Proposition 1A (Initiative 107) would
establish a $15 minimum wage for childcare
workers (phased in over three years for
employers with under 250 employees).
As an alternative, the Seattle City Council
and Mayor have proposed Proposition 1B
(Ordinance 124509), which would fund the
four-year initial phase of a City early learn-
ing program with the goal of developing a
widely-available, affordable, licensed, and
voluntary preschool option. The Ordinance
requires support, training and certification
for teachers. The program uses research-
based strategies, includes evaluation of
results, and provides tuition support. This
Seattle Transportation Benefit Dis-
trict Proposition No. 1 —
Transportation Funding
Portland School District #1j
Oregon State Ballot Measures
Metro District
Measure 86 amends the Oregon Constitu-
tion to create fund for Oregonians pursuing
post-secondary education; authorizes debt
to finance.
Measure 87 allows judges to be hired by
the National Guard and public universities;
allows school employees to serve in the leg-
Measure No: 26-160 would retain the
prohibition on Metro-required single-family
neighborhood density increases.
Retains provision in Metro Charter pro-
hibiting Metro from requiring local
governments to increase density in identi-
fied existing single-family neighborhoods.
Measure No: 26-161 continues Portland
Public Schools levy renewal for schools and
educational programs.
This measure renews current local option
taxes.
PPS’ current local option levy was
approved by voters in 2011 to provide fund-
ing for schools over 5 years.
In 2013, the Oregon Legislature ended the
diversion of some local option levy rev-
enues to certain urban renewal districts for
levies passed after January 2013. Renewal
of local option levy will direct approximate-
ly $4 million more to the approved purpose
of supporting education, without increasing
taxes. The renewed levy will provide $64.3
million, equivalent to 640 teaching posi-
tions.
allows the district to focus its efforts on
improving our processes to prevent and
respond to incidents of sexual harassment,
and provides funds for the student to pursue
her education,” the district’s statement says.
“Since the incident, the district has
focused on improving overnight field trip
procedures and working to ensure compli-
ance to the federal Title IX mandates, which
cover response to sexual harassment.”
The victim’s parents say she went from
being an academically successful student
and gifted musician to being withdrawn and
suicidal; she never returned to Garfield after
the attack, but instead spent time in an inpa-
tient mental health facility. She and her
family have moved out of state.
The family has started a Facebook com-
munity called, “Stop Sexual Assault in High
School.”
“Our entire family was devastated when
our family member was raped on a public
high school field trip,” the Facebook com-
munity page says. “The Seattle School
District’s failure to extend her federal Title
IX rights, to acknowledge her report of sex-
ual assault, and to treat her with basic
human dignity has been life-scaring beyond
description.”
The boy received a 10-day suspension
from school.
Meanwhile, demonstrations have been
held at Seattle School Board meetings call-
ing for the resignation of Garfield Principal
Ted Howard and a Change.org petition urg-
ing the district to fire him now has more
than 2,400 signatures.
“I am a student at Garfield,” one petition-
er writes. “My close friend was raped at a
School Dance freshman year. Nothing was
done in response to multiple reports.”
Another wrote: “STOP CODDLING
VARSITY ATHLETES ALREADY!”
According to the district’s Wednesday
statement:
“As a part of the mediated settlement, the
parents have agreed not to pursue any mon-
etary claims against the district, and to
dismiss all of their pending actions in front
of the Office of the Superintendent of Pub-
lic Instruction (OSPI), the Office of Civil
Rights, and anywhere else. They have also
agreed not to pursue any new actions, or to
file further public records requests with the
district. They have also agreed not to com-
municate further with the district regarding
this incident or subsequent response action,
and to not publicly identify or complain
about the male student accused of the
assault.”
If approved, this proposition would fund
preservation of transit service on existing
routes primarily serving Seattle that are pro-
posed to be cut beginning in 2015, with an
annual vehicle license fee of $60 per regis-
tered vehicle with a $20 rebate for
low-income individuals and authorize a 0.1
percent sales and use tax. Both the fee and
the tax would expire by Dec.31, 2020.
City of Portland
Measure No: 26-159 continues bonds to
fix playgrounds, trails; improve park facili-
ties, safety, accessibility.
Garfield
continued from page 1
the female student’s rights are protected. “
Neither the girl nor the boy who admitted
to school officials that he raped her have
been identified; the facts of the assault have
been reported widely and even school offi-
cials do not deny that the boy admitted
anally raping the girl even though she
repeatedly said “no.”
However the district’s position is that
even though the girl reported the rape and
was hospitalized, a subsequent District
Attorney investigation was “inconclusive,”
as was the district’s own investigation; the
family disputes that and has publicly
claimed the district selectively released
public records that left out details of the
police investigation’s conclusion.
“While the settlement does not hold the
district liable for the incident, district offi-
cials do consider this a fair settlement that
October 8, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 3