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Members of the police watchdog group Portland Copwatch spoke out during the public comment part of Wednesday's City Council session after they said they've been unable to get a meeting directly with Portland Mayor Charlie Hales, who serves as police commissioner.

(Stephanie Yao Long/The Oregonian )

Five members of Portland's Copwatch directly addressed the mayor Wednesday during a City Council session after saying they've been unable to get a meeting with him for the past four months.

Dan Handelman, who leads the local police watchdog group, told Portland Mayor Charlie Hales that he was concerned that Police Bureau policies and programs are being developed without sufficient community input.

"Since the goal was to critique policy discussions being made behind closed doors, Portland Copwatch decided to avoid the pitfalls of a private meeting and take their concerns public,'' Handelman wrote in a press release.

Before the council, Handelman and other Copwatch members voiced concerns about police policies regarding homeless people, a neighborhood hot spot policing program, the mayor's lack of security clearance on the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force and the mayor's push for body-worn cameras on police.

Copwatch members also voiced concern about the mayor's public safety policy liaison, former Portland police Officer Deanna Wesson-Mitchell.

"Since she was plucked out of the bureau, we have questions about her capacity to be impartial,'' said Barbara Ross.

Ross noted that Wesson-Mitchell could choose to return to the Police Bureau in the future, and therefore, "may be hesitant to make waves or to burn bridges.''

Copwatch members said they started seeking a meeting with Hales in April. At the request of the mayor's staff, they waited until the end of the city budget process. They were asked to set up a sit-down first with Wesson-Mitchell, but Copwatch members got turned off by several emails they received from her. They described her as being defensive of the bureau when they questioned its policies.

In one email, for example, she wrote: "Hi Dan, Hoping to schedule a meeting with you and other Portland Copwatch representatives to discuss the below items for which you have concern. Due to a fair amount of misinformation or mischaracterizations regarding almost all of these issues, I would like to meet with you to ensure we are working from the same set of facts.''

Hales, who serves as police commissioner, defended Wesson-Mitchell. He also asked again that the group first meet with her.

"I ask that people start with my staff,'' Hales said. "I have full confidence in them, and their job is to be transparent and to bring me community concerns.''

Hales added, "I'd like to end this impasse and ask you to go have a meeting with her and we'll follow up on that. ... Do start with Deanna Wesson-Mitchell and you'll find she's more independent-minded than you presumed.''

In recent years, the police chief hasn't held monthly Chief's Forum meetings that are open to the public. Bureau programs used to be publicly discussed at those meetings, but only a select group of community members are now invited to attend closed-door advisory meetings with the chief.

"At least there would be some public discussion so we knew what was going on,'' Handelman said of the chief's forums.

"Some way we have to get to a partnership on these difficult issues,'' Ross told the mayor.

Hales spoke briefly about his support for body-worn cameras for uniformed officers. He said he understood Copwatch's concerns that there be adequate controls and policies adopted to regulate the storage of video images and their use.

"Properly managed with the proper controls, having video is more beneficial than not,'' the mayor said. "I'm inclined towards it, but I understand the need for us to do it right.''

After the Copwatch members addressed the mayor and council, Wesson-Mitchell approached them outside the council chambers to try to set up a future meeting. Instead, Copwatch representatives asked her to send them documents on the police programs they had questions about.

--Maxine Bernstein