Hales says he won't continue to fight Frashour reinstatement
»Play Video
PORTLAND, Ore. - Following his landslide victory Tuesday night, KATU News talked with mayor-elect Charlie Hales Wednesday morning about a controversy involving the Portland Police Bureau.
In October, an arbitrator ordered the City of Portland to reinstate Officer Ron Frashour, who was fired over his involvement in the 2010 fatal shooting of an unarmed man, Aaron Campbell.
City officials, including current mayor Sam Adams, vowed to appeal the re-reinstatement order and passed a resolution allowing the city attorney to take the case to the Oregon Court of Appeals.
When asked by KATU News if he would continue the fight and spend money on a court battle to block Frashour's return to the police force, Hales said "I don't think so."
"I think we're going to focus more on the front end and. It's one of my top issues to really have the police bureau's culture reflect our values and that is a city that believes in peacekeeping and de-escalation and partnership between the police and community," he said.
"So that means we'll change some things about who we hire, how we train them and what the rules of force are," he added. "It's better to focus on those front-end issues rather than fight into the courts this arbitration decision that is, after all, a reflection of the existing contract. We need to renegotiate that contract rather than fight a rear-guard action on language that probably doesn't work for our community."
On the large number of write-in votes in the mayor's race, Hales said "my job now is, regardless of who you voted for, I want to be your mayor, and I want to be mayor of the whole city, and that means working on those priorities that we as a community share: good basic services coming from city government, of having me as your mayor being an advocate for schools across the city, working to build the economy here, working in lots of partnerships because that's really how you get things done in local government."
He also said he took note of issues raised by Eileen Brady and his opponent Jefferson Smith, especially in regards to east Portland.
Hales said he hopes to take "the spirit of what those candidates brought to the race and take it forward into an agenda that hopefully includes a lot of their ideas as well."
Hales garnered 67 percent of the vote for mayor to Jefferson Smith's 33 percent. There were over 14,000 write-in votes.
Not my major if he is not representing me in this issue. "I think we're going to focus more on the front end and. It's one of my top issues to really have the police bureau's culture reflect our values and that is a city that believes in peacekeeping and de-escalation and partnership between the police and community," he said.
^Reinstating a killer is not going to create any harmony with the community. It will only create more mistrust of the corrupt Portland Police and now of the person calling himself Major.
wow, not even in office and already, the first betrayal!
Thank you Hales...enough is enough. Â I offer my praise for your intelligent decision. Â
You were the only candidate that took the time to answer back when I asked what you might do in this matter....so glad you won.
So soon to be sworn in Charlie Hales doesn't care about the will of the people, about the votes in favor of canning Frashour on the public record unanimously by all of our city commissioners who to a tee - who know the histrory and details of this murder and believe differently on this critical issue than he does.Â
Â
Wow - criminals everywhere should celebrate Hales getting into office. It's a free ride for viscious out of control, murdering public servants.Â
Â
Mr. Hales just doesn't "think" so.... wow, sir. That is truly repugnant of you.Â
Â
Ignoring the life of an innocent man that was cruelly murdered. Ignoring the will of this city's city council, too.
Â
What pray tell, sir - is more important than staying the plotted course on this issue - and making sure Officer Frashour is sent away and stripped of his police officer's uniform? Come on, Hales - I am all ears. You fool. You. Â
 @englishdaisy There is so much to this saga that apparently you have never read that I believe you need to look at both sides for the actual facts before PDX spent millions more taxpayer money for nothing to appeal it. Hales did the right thing...
 @boned  @englishdaisy boned  - I am quite certain DOING THE RIGHT thing is always "worth it".Mr. Hales went from high school to high school PREACHING the "doing the right thing" to each prospective teen voter at each school just this fall. Â
Was he LYING to all of those voter aged kids?Â
Â
Leaving a known threat to public safety like Ronald Frashour to patrol and prey upon the streets of the EAST SIDE of this city is wrong and surreally UNFAIRr to the law abiding citizens of the east side - and it is completely WORTH IT to make sure Mr. Frashour and any other Portland Police officer who thinks they too can get away with stone cold murder of innocent citizens while on the "job" is told - no way. No how. And off they go - to another occupation. At the very least.Â
Â
Mr. Hales never returned my e-mail  - and I was quite clear about my position in regard to this subject. That Hales appears to be cherry picking e-mails of those that he shares his opinion with -  - - is wrong, wrong, wrong of you, too. How very seriously CLOSED MINDED and openly cruel of you, Charlie Hales - to not give a dang.Â
Â
Mr. Hales, sir - before you even take office - how DARE you!
 @englishdaisy ...it is not the will of the people in this case - only a slight minority with thoughts of gaining something they are not entitled to.
Wishful thinking but he should disassociate himself and the city from the SEIU. That would be the first positive step in correcting the city's problem.
As long as Frashour is assigned to a desk; it's probably more costly to go though the court process than to just contain the jack-wad.Â
Â
The larger picture which has been identified by every review of the PPB over the past 20 years is a lack of discipline, oversight, transparency, accountability, and management. All efforts should be focused on achieving those ends within the bureau rather than focusing on one jack-wad problem child.
Â
Â
 @Icarus He was arrogantly put back on the streets of Portland on the east side (of course not on the hypocritical elitist west side). He patrols our streets TODAY.Â
Â
Frashour could be responding to a incident involving your son or daughter right now. Somewhere in our city. Because the PPS demanded it be so. And the City Council folded - to a point. And said they would fight his permanent reinstatement.Â
Â
And now Hales says - leave Frashour alone. Let him prey upon the public and be a uniformed officer for as long as he "desires"?Â
Â
It was truly bad enough when all he was forced to do - was file papers. But it is far and away UNACCEPTABLE to the entire safety of the East Side of Portland, Oregon - to each and every one of us who live on the east side - that Officer Frashour is on OUR streets, "protecting" each of us - ready to "respond" in kind - just as he did to Aaron Campbell if he wants. After all - no police officer ever gets charged with a crime for being willfullly "excessive" in this city. Ever.  And now Charlie Hales in on board suggesting Ronald Frashour is his kind of "police officer". I bet Hales doesn't live with his wife on the east side of Portland where Frashour patrols the streets today.Â
CHARLIE HALES = More of the same... What a shame, Jefferson had more vision than Charlie. Charlie has like 20 years on Jefferson and should have more of a vision but alas he does not.Â
@MeatSnak I feel the same. I hope I'm wrong. I hope he does help Portland move forward with the important issues. And Please Mr. Hales, no more bike BS
Happy for Portland. NO more Sam! Woo-Hoo. Agree with Hales on moving forward. Let the past be the sound of Sam's footsteps upon the ground.
 @Lips Nevermind that "Forward" was Jefferson's campaign slogan.
"So that means we'll change some things about who we hire, how we train them and what the rules of force are," he added. "It's better to focus on those front-end issues rather than fight into the courts this arbitration decision that is, after all, a reflection of the existing contract. We need to renegotiate that contract rather than fight a rear-guard action on language that probably doesn't work for our community."
Â
Wow... Imagine that, a Mayor who actually sees proactive process as preferable to reactive grandstanding.Â
Â
There's always the hope that Mr Hales, having worked in the private sector, sees the reality that the cost of such grandstanding comes directly out of funds that could be put to better use in things like mental health response units and training. Rather than King Sams edict-based mayoral process of 'what I say matters more than the courts, or the citizens.'
Â
I'm hopeful that perhaps Lord Kitzhaber will take away from the elections some considerations as to his role in the state government. Â
 @MarkKpic And what do we do with the problem children now?  Shrug our shoulders and say, "Oh, well, they'll try to do better in the future." while keeping them on the force to harm again?
Â
We wouldn't do that if an ordinary citizen murdered someone. Â It's a nice idea to look at the hiring and training processes, and probably necessary. Â But it's not a solution to the problem and keeping people like that around will not heal the dysfunctional culture within the bureau.
Â
Hales is already proving what those of us who paid attention knew: Â He's another of the Katz, Adams ilk who have so damaged this city. Â All talk and soothing soundbytes and no substance.
This comment has been deleted
 @Tom dogboy Collins PP employee or spouse? I bet you are. Did you have dinner with Frashour this week. How sure are YOU that the streets of the east side of Portland where Frashour has free will to patrol and predatorily reign - are protected FROM HIM?Â
Â
Come on, Tom Collins. You are all fluff and lack any grasp of how cruel and dangerous to the PUBLIC (and to the life of Aaron Campbell) to suggest any Porttland Police Officer who cruelly and unacceptable kills innocent Portland citizens, should just be allowed to keep on keeping on.Â
Â
ALONGSIDE Kyle Nice today - both of them laughing themselves silly today - at the image of both of them in uniform once again patrolling the streets of Portland on all of our behalf - is a repugnant image. Hales agreeing to it all. And joining Nice and Police Chief Reese, and Ronald Frashour for doughnuts today - is foul and offensive. FOUL AND OFFENSIVE - the words and intention of soon to be sworn in Mayor Hales on this issue.Â
 @englishdaisy  @Tom dogboy Collins OK guys...time to chill before you blow a neck vein.  May I suggest you hop across the river, have a few tokes.
Pragmatic decision. Maybe common sense will prevail.
Â
Â
Sam has to keep fighting this to the bitter end of his term. He gave 1.2 million dollars of taxpayer money to the Campbell family although every court, administrative agence and arbitration that had legal standing said there was no justification for doing so. But it will guarantee his appointment - he'll never get elected to anything again, ever - to a civil rights agency job in the Obama Administration.
"There were almost 14,000 write-in votes"
Â
Wolfman for Mayor!
Â
I honestly did write your name it man (his name is not "Wolfman" and I did put his legal name down), sorry you didn't win.
Â
2018!
Â
This is why I wrote in Sam Adams for a 2nd term. These other two guys are clowns.
@James Jamonsta Are you nuts??????? Sam Adams again??? I rather have diarrhea!
Uh oh.