Three recent high school graduates took on their first documentary project, capturing the recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Portland.
Matt Byrne
Matt Byrne has covered crime and public safety for the Press Herald since 2016. It is his second beat since being hired at the Press Herald in late 2012, when he left the Boston Globe's suburban news bureau. Matt grew up outside Philadelphia, moved to Boston to attend Emerson College and now loves living in Maine. When he is not nerding out on court documents or listening to a police scanner, Matt loves to work on old cars, make things out of metal and try new craft beers. Offers to drive your race car, or news tips, are always welcome.
Posted inMaine, News
Anti-racism protest that got violent caught Portland police unprepared, City Council told
The city releases a 4-page report on its response to the demonstration of June 1, which police now say drew about 2,500 protesters and put the department ‘in a crisis mode.’
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Posted inMaine, News
Maine lawmakers will question top police officials about race disparities, surveillance tools
The joint standing committee on Criminal Justice and Public safety will meet Wednesday for the first time since the Legislature shut down for the pandemic.
Posted inMaine, Uncategorized
Maine law enforcement agencies lack the data needed to address racial disparities
The public outcry over systemic racism and police violence spurred by the death of George Floyd has renewed pressure on state officials to fund and support robust data collection and analysis by police agencies.
Posted inMaine, Maine Crime, News
Portland police arrest data mirrors national race disparity, calls for deeper look, experts say
Criminal justice experts say determining why will require more data and an external review that includes hearing from people who have been arrested to learn what led to their interactions with police.
Posted inMaine, News
Black people more likely than white people to face arrest, use of force by Portland police
Although black people make up about 7-8% of the city’s population, they have accounted for 17-23% of the arrests in the city in recent years, according to data released by the police department Friday.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland man says critical tweets led police officers to his door with summons
Christian MilNeil then tweeted about two officers showing up at his house to serve a summons for graffiti. Police, who also tweeted during the incident, deny they were retaliating for critical comments he made about the Portland department.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland Police Department releases use-of-force policy
It bars the use of chokeholds, neck restraints and other tactics that might cut off someone’s ability to breathe.
Posted inMaine, News, Uncategorized
Greater Portland chiefs vow to listen, but offer no policy changes
Current and former police chiefs from 9 communities in Greater Portland gathered Wednesday to condemn the killing of George Floyd, and said they ‘can and must do better,’ vowing to listen to demonstrators’ concerns about race and policing.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News
Police arrest 23 during overnight confrontations with anti-racism demonstrators
Portland police say 22 people were charged with failure to disperse, and one man, a tractor-trailer driver, was charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon for driving into the protest area. All have since been bailed out.