“Keep your feet under the table,” advised Michael Schrunk, Multnomah County District Attorney, in his report during the Leadership Portland Law, Justice & Safety program day. Grammatically, it was a declarative statement. But it was meant as an invitation to engage in the hard conversations necessary to find solutions to challenges facing Portland.
Our schedule for the day was ambitious. It began with a testimony from Rosie Sizer, Chief of Portland Police Bureau. It continued with shadowing a Clean and Safe Officer, witnessing a live courtroom proceedings, touring the county jail, and hearing from a panel of knowledgeable professionals regarding issues facing criminal offenders dealing with substance abuse.
At the end of the day, we were asked what our reactions were to the day’s events, and what we were willing to do with our learnings. For example, what can be done to ease reintegration into society for inmates in the county jail? What can we do for youth today that will prevent future prolonged stays in the county detention center? How can the city provide dignified housing for all when housing, and funding for housing, is scarce? Which programs are necessary to bridge the gap for an individual exiting jail and re-entering society?
The program day was an opportunity to get a read on Portland’s legal/social barometer – it exposed some of the issues compromising Portland’s good standing as a safe, and vibrant, city. Fortunately, many of us in the Leadership Portland Class of 2010 will pursue opportunities to creatively remedy these issues with a fervor and belief that solutions are possible, and worth the effort.
We’re on it.
Published in Leadership on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009