Sergeant Rob Johnsey died in a tragic accident on May 5, 2008, when his service revolver accidentally discharged as he was preparing it for training to be held the following day.
Acting Chief Joseph K. Loughlin hosted a news conference on December 17 to announce the completion of a poetry and photography 2009 police calendar, a special project between members of the Portland Police Department and the Arts & Equity Initiative (AEI). AEI's mission is to improve municipal government and its relationship with the public through art projects with local artists and city employees.
Loughlin said this was a news conference bearing "good news," unlike many others that have been held at Police Headquarters recently. He stated he was "skeptical at the beginning of the project," but said of Mary Pottenger, the director: "She pulled it off." He went on to say that he felt the calendar was a way people might learn about officers as human beings. "It's a valuable and quality product that I'm proud to be part of."
Rachel Talbot Ross, Portland's Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Multicultural Affairs, said the AEI projects are a way to connect city employees to each other and to communities. It's also a way to "understand and express diversity in the city."
Ross stated "Marty has been a lightning rod. She's creating connections where none existed."
Lieutenant Michael Sauschuck, who was involved in helping coordinate the officers and artist teams, said "Marty put together a SWAT team of poets and photographers" to work on this project. He then read one of Rob Johnsey's poems, "The Forest," which is included in the calendar. Sauschuck said that Rob Johnsey "was a special guy." He was held in high esteem by those who worked with him.
AEI is a public/private partnership between the City of Portland and the arts nonprofit Terra Moto Incorporated. The three-year pilot project began in Portland in 2007, with Marty Pottenger as the director.
Pottenger is a theater artist/playwright/director who moved here from New York City to head up AEI.
Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will be shared with the Johnsey Fund, established in the memory of Rob Johnsey, and with AEI.
Officer Chris Mitchell, a member of Evening Directed Patrol, who has been a member of the force a little over two years, is seen here looking at pages from the calendar that were posted outside the conference room. Mitchell was a participant in the project, with some of his photographs appearing in the calendar.
The calendars are priced at $15 and will be available at all major bookstores in the area. The story of life and work within the police department is what the calendar tells about. It also addresses challenges faced by the department, improving the relationship between the public and the department, and improving departmental morale through the creation of art.
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