The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) recognizes its responsibility to the community to ensure Bureau members perform their duties in a manner that promotes public trust and is also consistent with established guidelines. The Bureau is guided by more than 100+ official documents known as directives that serve as the foundation of police operations. These directives not only govern member behavior when interacting with community members, but they also serve as an accountability measure for members’ actions. The Bureau is committed to developing and updating directives to meet the demands/requirements of modern day policing and strives to reflect 21st century policing practices aimed at strengthening relationships with those in the community that we have sworn to protect and defend.

The Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) Directive 010.00 sets forth the process for reviewing and revising its directives. During this process, when a directive is identified for review or is newly created, the Bureau designates two timeframes - the First and Second Universal Review and Public Comment Periods - in which community members can comment on the Bureau’s policies. Because the Bureau strives for transparency in the review and development of its directives, it is our goal to give everyone who is interested in providing feedback the opportunity to contribute to the development of a directive prior to implementation.

After each universal review period, the Bureau conducts its internal review process, during which the Bureau’s policy team considers the feedback submitted by the public and meets with subject matter experts and leadership to develop an updated directive that aligns with best practice standards, comports with applicable laws and reflects the intended objectives of the Bureau. Upon approval and signature by the Chief of Police, the Bureau will publish the directive(s) pending enactment that will be available to the public on the PPB website for 30 calendar days. The directive(s) will become effective at the conclusion of this time.

The Portland Police Bureau thanks you for your time and feedback during the review and development of its directives. While you may not receive an individual response to your comment, be assured that the Bureau’s commitment to community engagement includes a serious commitment to reviewing and considering public input as it relates to its policies.

*Please note that the PPB is currently in the process of improving its website. Individuals who have registered to receive email updates will be automatically notified when changes to the Directives portal occur. Get notified via email when Directives are posted to this website.

For more information on the directive review and development process, please click on any of the following links: