June 19, 2020 4:00 a.m.
Governor Kate Brown has announced that she is proclaiming June 19th as Juneteenth in Oregon.
Brown said the day should be a celebration of Black American freedom and a commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Brown said she will introduce a bill in the 2021 legislative session that would make the day a state holiday.
Brown also announced that she is creating a task force focused on statewide law enforcement training, standards and accountability.
Brown said, “this year, celebrating Black freedom and achievement on Juneteenth is more important than ever as people across Oregon, the United States, and around the world protest systemic racism and unequivocally show that Black Lives Matter”.
Brown said she this is a “small yet important step”. She encourages Oregonians to join her in observing Juneteenth by getting educated on systemic racism in this country, and “getting involved in the fight for racial justice”.
Brown also announced plans to appoint a Public Safety Training and Standards Task Force to recommend improvements to the training and certification of Oregon law enforcement officers. Members of the group will be announced soon. She said their work will focus on:
*How to apply best practices, research, and data to officer training and certification
*How to best incorporate racial equality into law enforcement training and certification
*How to incorporate best practices on the concept of “least amount of force necessary” for accomplishing lawful objectives, as well as de-escalation
*The composition of the Board of Public Safety Standards and Training and how to include additional public participation
*Statutory requirements for officer decertification
Brown said she has been proud to see “Oregonians standing up peacefully and making their voices heard in calling for racial justice and real criminal reform, even in the middle of the pandemic, because the need for change is so pressing”.
Brown said it is time for a full review of law enforcement training, certification, and decertification practices.