Mid-county Memo Blog

We received a news release from Portland Police Bureau about a shooting incident in outer east Portland last night. It follows:

“Last night (Tuesday, Jan.5) at 12:45 a.m., Portland Police Officers responded to the 100 Block of Southeast 160th (Ave.) on a report of a person being shot. Before officers arrived, 911 dispatchers received information that the victim was being driven to the hospital by a friend. The victim, 21-year-old Cherie Thompson, was taken to Emanuel hospital and received treatment for non-life threatening injuries from two gunshot wounds.

Last night there was an injury accident in east Portland involving a police car and two people from the television show COPS. The combined press releases from the Portland Police Bureau follow.

“On September 29, 2009 at approximately 9:00 p.m., a Portland Police Officer driving Eastbound on Southeast Stark Street near 136th (Avenue) was hit by an oncoming vehicle that veered into the officer’s lane. Two passengers from the COPS television show were riding in the officer’s vehicle as part of a COPS production that is currently being filmed with the Portland Police Bureau.

An e-mail from the Portland Police Bureau about a bicyclist’s death on Northeast 122nd Avenue this morning follows. When it happens close to home, literally, it reminds me of how fishing line thin the line between life and death, happiness and sadness, tragedy and peace is. I will post the victim’s name when released.

“BICYCLIST KILLED BY HIT AND RUN DRIVER
Posted: August 27th, 2009 4:03 AM

“Tonight at approximately 2:15 a.m., Portland Police Officers responded to the area of Northeast 122nd and Fremont Street on a report of a hit and run incident involving a car and a bicyclist. When officers arrived, they found a 52-year-old deceased male bicyclist and determined the vehicle involved had left the scene.

Citizen volunteers needed for police review committee

The Independent Police Review Division receives and screens complaints about Portland Police Bureau officers. The IPR may investigate, mediate, dismiss, or refer complaints to the Portland Police Bureau.

The IPR overseeing investigations, analyzing complaint patterns, and conducting policy reviews. is seeking volunteers for the Citizen Review Committee to monitor and advise the IPR, hear appeals and receive public concerns.

Candidates must be Portland, Oregon residents or business owners with a lack of real or perceived conflicts of interest for or against law enforcement. Seeking five volunteers for two year terms.

A summary of feature stories from the May 2009 edition of the Mid-county Memo:

The Gateway Green Project gets going with a grant for planning and an anonymous donation.

To meet Mayor Sam Adams’ first round of budget cuts, Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer  cuts the number of police precincts from five to three.  The Northeast Precinct will now stretch from Linnton to Gresham.

Western States Chiropractic College, the 105-year-old institution in Mid-county seeks to become a university.

Up next, Perlman’s Potpourri: news items from across the Gateway and Parkrose neighborhoods of mid-Multnomah County from veteran Beat Reporter Lee Perlman.

As its part of the budget reduction process, the Portland Police Bureau is proposing to consolidate its existing five police precincts into three.
Under this plan Northeast and North precincts would be combined, while Southeast would be divided between Central and East.

The boundary for East Precinct, which for the most part stops at East 82nd Avenue today, would extend to about 60th Avenue between East Burnside and Southeast Holgate streets, and as far west as Southeast 39th Avenue south of Holgate.

Some observers think utilizing the efficiencies gained is preferable to service cuts. Others think the new order will seriously interfere with Community Policing efforts.

Public meetings are being planned to let citizens in on the Portland Police Bureau’s plans for redistricting, and that includes east Portland’s East Precinct.

Neighbors with the Madison South Neighborhood Association have been given some advanced notice concerning the changes, and apparently their portion of east Portland will be redistricted – out of the East Precinct. Some of those members are unhappy with the plans.

The first public meeting of city officials and the PPB for citizens to view proposed boundary changes, learn about redistricting recommendations and provide feedback regarding changes to the PPB East Precinct will be held Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Banfield Corporate Office, 8000 N.E. Tillamook St.

The Mid-county Memo is always proud to promote our modern day heroes, those men and women of the Portland Police Bureau and the Portland Fire Bureau.

This past summer saw the retirement of Lt. Dennis O’Grady, who worked at Portland Fire Station No. 43, located at Northeast 133rd Avenue and San Rafael Street.

O’Grady was part of a contingent from Station No. 43 who in June 2002 hosted visiting firefighters from New York City’s Engine Company 306, one of the many brave units that responded to the horrific scene in that city on Sept. 11, 2001. The New York firefighters who came to Portland also participated in the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade.

This year, the City of Portland’s annual kick-off to National Night Out begins a week earlier than usual.  Billed as the Countdown to National Night Out the event happens on Tuesday, July, 25 running from 5 to 6p.m. at the Lloyd Center Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill, 1439 NE Halsey St.

Stephanie Reynolds, interim program manager for the Office of Neighborhood Involvement’s Crime Prevention Program says, “In past years we’ve held the kick-off event the same night as National Night Out.  We realized that this was a conflict for many of the party-givers that wanted to attend the kick-off but couldn’t because they were in the midst of final arrangements for their neighborhood celebration.