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On April 14, a WW reporter informed city officials that Officer Brian Hunzeker of the Portland Police Bureau was moonlighting as a full-time sheriff’s deputy in Clark County, Wash. (“Moonlight Miles,” April 19). Hours later, the city told WW that Hunzeker had resigned. The revelation of Hunzeker’s dual employment was particularly explosive because of his history atop the cops’ union: Mayor Ted Wheeler fired him nearly a year ago for trying to damage the reputation of a police critic, but an arbitrator gave him his job back. The larger question raised by the story, however, was how the city could so lose track of an officer that he could patrol towns in another state without anyone noticing. Here’s what our readers had to say:
freeradicalx, via Reddit: “Hold up, this is the cop who sued the city last year after being fired for conspiracy to frame Jo Ann Hardesty? Good grief, the absolute gall of this guy.”
@gun_toucher, via Twitter: “These guys are such welfare collectors.”
TedsFaustianBargain, via Reddit: “It’s weird how we have this Reno 911 police force right here in Portland and so many people are totally cool with it.”
SasquatchIsMyHomie, via Reddit: “A lot of people are not cool with it. We just haven’t figured out what to do about it yet. Obviously, protesting didn’t work, electing reformers to the City Council also has not worked, consent decrees from the DOJ did not work either. I’m sick of paying these chucklefucks’ salaries, but honestly I’m out of ideas.”
JohnQPublicthe3rd, via wweek.com: “Who’s running the Bureau of Human Resources for the city? Why did they not do a precursory look at what he’s been doing after being fired? Don’t they do any background checks when/if people are hired or brought back? Seems the HR department isn’t following the rules when they fire someone or rehire them.”
Allreadyready, via wweek.com: “Why do you suppose there is a not so small enclave of Portland police living in Southwestern Washington? Is it just that the real estate prices are that much cheaper, or is it because of the nice little community of likeminded good ol’ boys who look out for each other? It reminds me of the New York City P.D. that had a bunch of racist cops fleeing the city for the quiet, mostly white, mostly conservative suburbs of NYC. Birds of a feather flock together.
“Personally, I think that police should have to live in the communities they police. And that doesn’t mean renting an apartment, but actually living there full time. Police should also be required to know their neighborhood’s citizens and what kinds of problems exist there. But, of course, that’s asking for too much.”
Ambitious-Impress-46, via Reddit: “How many others are doing this?
“Maybe response times in Portland are taking so long because it takes time to change a uniform and drive across the river.”
A Motor City in the Making
I’m loving WW’s coverage of Portland. I deeply appreciate and honor independent news sources. I relied on Detroit’s Metro Times more than the Freep or the News when I was at Wayne State. Which leads me to me speaking the same refrain I’ve been saying for a while now: Portland post-COVID-19 is looking more and more like Detroit circa early 2000s. When the city coffers ran dry because of greed. However, it seems here coffers have cash, just no one is allocating it properly. Mismanagement is mismanagement.
Mismanagement starved Detroit emergency services and first responders of money for maintenance and staffing (PPB needs help. Portland’s fire department needs help). The street lights burned out and the city didn’t replace them (park lights, anyone?). Water and sewage services lapsed and plenty of neighborhoods didn’t have running water. And to bring around the point: Night after night, lot after lot caught fire, either by arson or accident as squatters tried to stay warm, cook food (or drugs), until every neighborhood was a mish-mash of burned-out hulks, houses in various stages of disrepair, and one or two maintained structures.
I’m not going to give up on Portland. It’s the first place I truly feel accepted for me, what I can offer my community, but City Hall needs a wake-up, and the “I didn’t vote because it doesn’t matter” crowd needs to be called to task and made to look at what nihilism and voting apathy does. I think WW’s staff is doing a great job of fighting that fight. Keep it up.
Kara Nagle
Southeast Portland
LETTERS to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: PO Box 10770, Portland OR, 97296 Email: mzusman@wweek.com