Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in Oregon
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
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| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in Oregon. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Ballotpedia in 2023 examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population through the lens of a series of research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicate how Oregon handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | YES |
Condition: Disciplinary action can be appealed to the grievance/arbitration procedure within 15 days; Selection: Both parties alternate striking names from a list of arbitrators until one remains; Provider: The Employment Relations Board provides a list of five Oregon or Washington arbitrators; Arbitrator authority: The arbitrator's decision is final and bindingWritten reprimands, reduction in pay, demotion, suspension, and dismissal can be appealed through arbitration. The arbitrator can reinstate an employee with or without backpay and can mitigate penalties. | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: Police Department, State of Oregon; Types: Written reprimand, reduction in pay, suspension, demotion, dismissal; Restricted aspects: N/A; Challenge/appeal process: Union grievance procedureEmployee has right to union representation at investigatory interview which employee reasonably believes may result in disciplinary action. Where dismissal may be contemplated, employee will be furnished a pre-dismissal notice in writing. Employee shall be allowed union representative or shop steward at meeting to refute charges. Unless employee waives in writing, notices of pre-dismissal, suspension, reduction, demotion and dismissal shall be sent electronically to union on same day the employee is notified. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
| Legal limitations or provisions | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the city CBA prohibit felons from becoming law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Are there any statutes or regulations that prohibit collective bargaining with police unions? | NO |
| Does the state have a "police bill of rights" statute or regulation? | YES |
Police officer rights under disciplinary procedure, including safeguards, just cause, and notice. Does not apply for investigations of solely criminal activities. | |
Training and counseling
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | NO |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Process for investigating complaints and discipline | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | YES |
Conditions: N/A; Timeline: Must be given prior to any questioning; Content: Must include the nature and charges of the investigationProvisions do not apply to criminal investigations. | |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | NO |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | NO |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | NO |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: State-run database; Storage authority: Chief Human Resources Office; Types of records: Disciplinary actions; Timeline: Disciplinary actions removed after 2 years Access and use: "Personnel Files and Working Files shall not be accessible by state employees beyond the immediate supervisor, the Agency Human Resource Director, human resource staff, the subject employee, employees with a work related business need as authorized by the Agency Human Resource Director, and anyone specifically authorized in writing by the subject employee."; Use in decisions: N/A | |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | NO |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | YES |
Agency retains right to hire, promote, transfer, assign employees; 1x/month Agency shall provide union list of new/transferred/promoted/terminated employees; Union may request to review out of classification assignment; Union may appeal if employee classification/reclassification request is denied within 15 days of decision | |
See also
Footnotes
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