Did you know that the Police Citizen Review Subcommittee was created by the Portland City Council in 2001? In the words of Biggie Smalls: “If you don’t know, now you know.”

The Police Citizen Review Subcommittee is a seven-member board that provides a form of accountability in Portland that helps promote fair and professional policing, and provides a layer of public accountability by looking to determine if a complaint filed by a citizen against a Portland Police officer was timely, fair, thorough and objective. The subcommittee also makes recommendations to the city manager, who seeks to better enhance public confidence and serve as a voice for the community.

The tragic events that took place in 2020 and in the present with regard to law enforcement shed light on the need for more accountability and for improving relationships between law enforcement and the community. In Portland, it may seem there is no one working to find ways to bridge the gap, but there is, and it is important for the public to engage with the Police Citizen Review Subcommittee to make clear what the community needs and wants with respect to law enforcement issues.

The Police Citizen Review Subcommittee normally meets the second Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. and will return to City Hall in September for its first in-person meeting since the pandemic last year. The public will have an opportunity to comment before each meeting as well.

Citizens can learn more about the Police Citizen Review Subcommittee at www.portlandmaine.gov/1476/Police-Citizen-Review-Subcommittee.

Reginald Parson
vice chair, Police Citizen Review Subcommittee
Portland

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