Portland Chief Tells Officer to Stop Saying DA Won’t Prosecute Crimes

Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell has urged all officers and non-uniformed employees working for the Portland Police Bureau to stop spreading the dubious claim that their crime-fighting hands are tied by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt.

The warning came in a bureau-wide memo sent May 4 and obtained this week by The Oregonian/OregonLive . In it, Lovell wrote that he routinely receives reports from city residents who are disappointed by their interactions with Portland police officers.

“What is completely unacceptable is telling a community member that you will not take police action because the District Attorney refuses to prosecute cases,” the chief said. “This undermines our relationship with criminal justice partners and sends the message to the community that the system is unresponsive to their needs.”

The email’s revelation comes as Schmidt struggles to shake a soft-on-crime reputation while he prepares to seek reelection next year in what is likely to be a hotly contested race. Nathan Vasquez , a veteran Multnomah County prosecutor, is already campaigning to unseat his boss.