Portland Lieutenant At Center Of Texting Scandal Reassigned

PORTLAND, OR – The Portland Police lieutenant whose hundreds of friendly texts and emails with the organizer of a right-wing group has led to an investigation, has been reassigned. The Police Bureau announced Friday that Jeff Niiya who had commanded their Rapid Response Team, will not be participating in its activities while the investigation is ongoing.

The move follows disclosure this week by Willamette Week that Niiya and Patriot Prayer organizer Joey Gibson had a warm relationship despite the fact that Gibson's group was often involved in violent clashes on Portland streets.

Niiya and the response team were often the ones who led the bureau's response to the clashes. Mayor Wheeler said that the relationship that's evident in the communications between Niiya and Gibson, "contribute to the distrust that so many people have about the Portland Police Bureau."

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Willamette Week used a freedom of information request to obtain the texts and emails.

"These text messages appear to cross several boundaries," Wheeler said Thursday.

"They also raise questions about whether warrants are being enforced consistently and what information is being shared with individuals who may be subject to arrest."

The report by Willamette Week – among other things – quotes a series of texts from Dec. 2017 in which Niiya assures Gibson that officers had ignored a warrant for one of Gibson's associates when they saw him at a Patriot Prayer demonstration and urged Gibson to tell the person to "make sure he doesn't do anything which may draw our attention.

"I don't see a need to arrest on the warrant unless there is a reason."

Police Chief Danielle Outlaw says that the bureau will host a community listening session on Thursday, Feb. 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Maranatha Church at 4222 NE 12th Avenue.

"It is imperative that we come together to hear people's concerns and ideas," Outlaw says. "2019 is a year for solutions.

"We would like for the public to have the opportunity to share with the Portland Police Bureau their ideas for how to move forward."

Outlaw and Wheeler both know that they have an uphill battle ahead.

On Thursday, after the article appeared, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said that she was not "shocked" or "surprised" by the revelations in Willamette Week.

"This story, like many that have come before it, simply confirms what many in the community have already known – there are members of the Portland police force who work in collusion with right-wing extremists," she said.

"The time for indignation and feigned outrage is past, and the time for meaningful accountability is here."

On Wednesday, Hardesty scored a big victory by leading a successful effort to withdraw the city from its partnership with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, in part because of the relationship between members of law enforcement and right wings groups.

Wheeler agreed that the messages between Niiya and Gibson fuel the fire of distrust.

"The texts appear to unnecessarily encourage Joey Gibson, the leader of a group that perpetrates hate speech and violence," he said.

"Demonstrations that he has led have caused significant disruption and increased fear in our community."

Late Thursday night, the bureau released the emails and texts sent back and forth to Gibson that had been previously released to Willamette Week.

"The Portland Police Bureau has strong organizational values that encompass integrity and accountability. We have also pledged transparency to our community," Outlaw says.

"I have directed an internal investigation to review the context of these communications and determine if any Bureau directives were violated. If anything is identified that is deemed outside of our values and directives, it will be addressed."

READ ALL THE TEXTS AND EMAILS BELOW:

Emails With Joey GibsonRele... by on Scribd

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File photo of dueling protests in downtown Portland via Travis Loose/Patch.