Losing a Useful Tool
October 1, 2007
With the Mayor’s decision allowing the sun to set on drug and prostitution free zones, the City of Portland loses a useful tool. As police officers, we see the personal and community destruction that comes from drug addiction and prostitution. In our experience, drugs usually underlie crime: people commit crimes because they are on drugs or need money to buy drugs. Regardless of one’s views on how to eliminate drug-related crime, no one wants drug dealing or prostitution in their neighborhood or near their business.
Portland’s Police Officers
Ask You to Vote Yes on 26-93
Portland Police Officers work every day to support a safe community.
We are asking our community to support us this November
by voting Yes on Measure 26-93.
Measure 26-93 provides for reimbursement of injury-related medical expenses for officers and firefighters after they have retired, if they have been injured in the line of duty. Not all officers are granted coverage under the current charter language. If you are injured so severely you cannot return to work then the current charter language provides for granting coverage. However, if you are injured and can and do return to work then no coverage is granted. As officers we want to return to work and usually do leaving us without coverage in retirement. We believe that’s unfair.
All other officers and fire fighters in the State of Oregon covered by Workers Compensation have this coverage. We think this is an administrative adjustment that brings our plan in line with the coverage provided throughout the state.
When we are injured as a result of protecting the families of Portland, we need a safety net in place to protect our own families in retirement. As officers we ask the citizens of our community to support this administrative adjustment to the Charter to help give us and our families financial stability we need in retirement.
Thankfully the City Council voted unanimously in support of this charter amendment and it was approved by the new oversight board of the FPD&R system. The police officers and fire fighters of Portland worked with the council and community last year to pass FPD&R reforms that make our system credible and efficient. This amendment does not undo any reforms passed by voters last November. Instead it modifies the Charter to provide a benefit everyone believes is fair and equitable given the important role police officers and fire fighters play in our community.
Thank you for your support.
Robert J. King,
President
Portland Police Association
