Our Risk Management Team
Social unrest captured headlines in 2020, beginning in May with the tragic death of George Floyd at the hand of a Minneapolis police officer. As more tragedies occurred, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in Oregon gained the nation’s attention.
The City of Portland’s sustained protests led to federal officers temporarily being deployed to defend federal buildings in Downtown Portland. But protests were not limited to Oregon’s urban cities. The BLM protests spread across the State in cities like Pendleton, Seaside, and Bend.
Social Unrest Doesn't Lead to More CIS Member Claims
Due to the extraordinary efforts of public safety officials in member communities, protests outside of Portland have been mostly peaceful. Fortunately,
CIS members have experienced little vandalism or looting.
CIS Helps with Diversity Training
Within CIS, we have determined one way we can help our members is by offering diversity training. In 2020, we rolled out a new training titled "Walk A Mile in Their Shoes: Steps for Understanding and Respecting Diversity in Our Workplaces and Communities."
Portland, OR • Video of Riot Police
This interactive workshop style training is based on the premise that every individual, whether employee, elected official, or citizen, has a unique personal background and individualized life experiences that greatly impact the way they interact with others.
Attendees of the training not only explored the fundamental concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also experienced opportunities for self-reflection to discover how these ideas apply to them as individuals, and in their workgroups and communities.
The goal of the training is to increase awareness about the importance of our differences, build a vocabulary for discussing those differences when they impact our workplaces and communities, and empower CIS members to engage in respectful discourse and conduct when they encounter someone from a different walk of life.
This training can be beneficial for employees and elected officials, and, due to COVID-19 restrictions, is offered virtually until in-person trainings are feasible again.
Police Are Challenged to Lead Change
As a result of the turmoil in 2020, police departments are receiving much more scrutiny from the public.
CIS Deputy Property/Casualty Trust Director Dave Nelson explains, it will take all of us working together, regardless of race, background, education, gender, or the community in which we live, to solve the social and criminal justice issues. Strong leadership and a constructive culture will be the keys to positive and transformational change.
By working together, we can make our communities safer, stronger, and healthier for everyone.
We continue to collaborate with the Association of Oregon Counties, the League of Oregon Cities, the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association to provide training that will support these changes.
To this end, CIS’ public safety risk management team will continue to work to reform the culture of police organizations statewide.
Collaborate through professional standards investigations and the discipline process.
Train members on the significant role of leadership and supervision.
Review the appropriate use of police force.
Social unrest should lead to more discussion of change and reform of law enforcement in the future. It will take community and special interest collaboration along with thoughtful leadership in law enforcement.
CIS looks forward to lending a helping hand to help foster a new normal of trust in the world of professional public safety in Oregon.