History
The bureau, originally named the Portland Metropolitan Police Force, was established in 1870 by the Portland City Council. The Council appointed Phillip Saunders as its first chief of police, in charge of a force with six patrolmen and one lieutenant, at a time when the population of Portland was 9,000. The first member of the force to die in the line of duty was Officer Charles F. Schoppe, who was shot to death in 1874 while trying to disarm a drunken saloon patron. On April 1, 1908, the bureau became the first in the United States to hire a female police officer, Lola Baldwin, who became the Superintendent of its newly established Women’s Protective Division. In 1915, the "Metropolitan Police Force" changes its name to the Bureau of Police. Four years later, the bureau becomes the first in the USA to use a police radio. Sybil Plumlee, also considered to be a pioneer in the field, served in the Women's Protective Division from 1947 to 1967. In 1985, Penny Harrington becomes Portland’s first female chief of police, and the first to head a major U.S. police department.
Since 1992, there has been several cases of suspects having died while in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center. In several high-profile cases, including the James Chasse, Jr. and Kendra James incidents, the Portland Police Bureau has been accused of engaging in the abuse of force and then covering up the investigation. The accusations have prompted a Copwatch program in Portland. However, in both the Chasse and James incidents, neither the Portland Police Bureau or any sworn officer was found guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.
Read more about this topic: Portland Police Bureau
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