urban combat

OPP Halts City Plan for No-Bid Buying of Urban Combat Gear from Policeman's Company

Submitted by info on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 17:51

On the morning of May 29, 2012, OPP issued this press release entitled, "Portland City Council Declaring `Emergency' to Buy No-Bid Equipment from Company owned by Policeman." OPP was the only opponent of this item on the agenda. Within hours, the item was removed from the agenda and has not been rescheduled. The Oregonian reported on May 30:

Portland Mayor Sam Adams Wednesday morning [May 30] removed from the City Council's consent agenda an ordinance that would have allowed the Portland Police Bureau and other city bureaus to purchase gear from a company owned by a Portland patrol officer. In the face of opposition from the Oregon Progressive Party, Adams removed the ordinance from the agenda and sent it back to his office.

The press coverage was extensive, including The Oregonian, KXL, KATU, and the Business Journal (with a second article).

City Council to Declare "State of Emergency" to Allow No-Bid Contracts for Combat Gear from Company owned by Police Officer

Submitted by info on Tue, 05/29/2012 - 10:00

May 29, 2012   IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

Alaina Melville
alaina.melville@gmail.com
503-201-9398		 Philip Kauffman
pmkauffman@gmail.com
503-250-0327

On Wednesday, May 30th, the Portland City Council will vote on an ordinance that will waive restrictions and allow the Police Bureau and other city agencies to enter into no-bid contracts with Extreme Products, LLC, a company owned by Portland Police officer John A. Myers.

Allowing such purchases "directly and without competition" is so important that the ordinance "declares that an emergency exists" so that the City can immediately buy "urban combat gear" from Extreme Products, despite the fact that purchasing goods and services "from any City employee, or any business with which a City employee is associated," is banned by Section 5.33.070 of the City Code.

Extreme Products specializes in urban combat gear for government agencies, selling weapons and tools designed to hurt people.  This company also boasts that they are a local recruiter for the the National Rifle Association, a group that advocates for pro-gun politics, regardless of the deaths of innocents and the cost to communities.

Item 588 is a part of the consent agenda, meaning there will be no discussion on the decision made behind closed doors.  Further, the agenda items itself states that there was no "public involvement included in the development of this Council item."  None.  And "The [Police] bureau does not anticipate  that any future public involvement  will be necessary."

This ordinance is followed on the agenda by the highly controversial proposal to install spy cameras.

"It is disturbing that City Council would announce this waiver on the same day that they vote to install spy cameras.  Declaring an emergency to allow an officer to profit off the militarization of his own police force, while simultaneously attempting to advance a local surveillance state, is not only unconstitutional but very dangerous for our community" said Alaina Melville, organizer for the Oregon Progressive Party.

The Oregon Progressive Party along with individuals and groups from the community will be meeting outside Portland City Hall 8:30 am Wednesday to protest the installation of spy cameras and the passage of Item 588.

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