Committee sends two PCCEP nominees to full council after brief questioning and public comment

The Community and Public Safety Committee on June 24 voted to forward two mayoral nominees for the Portland Committee on Community Engaged Policing (PSAP, sometimes referred to in documents as PCCEP) to the full City Council with a recommendation that the appointments be confirmed.

Dori Brubinski, program manager for the Portland Committee on Community Engaged Policing, told the committee the panel was created as part of a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and is intended to bring community voice into police oversight and reform. Brubinski said PSAP is a 13-member advisory committee with two-year appointments, reserved seats for youth and special consideration for people with lived experience of mental illness or addiction. She said the recruitment for these slots received about 40 applications and that mayoral staff interviewed finalists before the mayor selected two nominees.

The two nominees introduced themselves to the committee. Dean Salazar said his experience includes service on the Portland Children's Levy community advisory council and work on applied equity; he described family experiences with policing and noted he has autism and ADHD. Gabrielle Pacia said she entered policy work after the death of her father in an incident involving the Napa Police Department and described a background in community engagement and a master's degree in public policy focused on policing and homelessness responses.

Committee members asked each nominee about readiness to work collaboratively, to divide labor among members, and about being conduits to community voices rather than speaking for them. Both nominees said they were comfortable doing both research and community outreach and committed to serving as conduits to broader community perspectives.

A motion was made and seconded to refer the nominations to the full City Council with a 'due-pass' recommendation. After a brief clerical confusion and a single public comment from resident Joe Rao, the committee re-took the roll and the motion carried. Chair Novick announced the committee's recommendation that both Gabrielle Pacia and Dean Salazar be sent to the full council for confirmation.

Because the committee's action was a referral to the full City Council, final appointment is subject to council confirmation; no final confirmation vote occurred in the committee meeting.

Votes at a glance - Motion: Refer the mayor's nominations of Gabrielle Pacia and Dean Salazar to the full City Council with a recommendation that the appointments be confirmed. Outcome: Motion carried; referral to full council. (The committee does not itself make final appointments.)

Context Brubinski summarized PSAP's origin as a remedy in the DOJ settlement addressing constitutional uses of force by the Portland Police Bureau, noting PSAP's authorization to issue formal recommendations to the mayor and police bureau that require written responses within 60 days. She said the committee conducts public meetings, hosts town halls and has convening power to advise on body-worn camera policy and first-responder public education. Staff told the committee PSAP received new budgeted community engagement support in the most recent budget cycle and that staff feel resourced to support the committee's work at present.

Ending Chair Novick thanked the nominees and staff and closed the item, noting the committee would send the referrals to the full City Council for confirmation at a later council meeting.