Sick leave grievance settled between PPA and City

The Rap Sheet
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Volume 38
President’s
Message
Number 10
by President Robert J. King
PPA
supports
updating
the MDC
system
Dear Mayor and City Commissioners,
We understand the Police Bureau is requesting money
for purchasing computer tablet notebooks to replace the
outdated MDC computers that currently are used in all
of our police cars. We believe OMF will recommend the
purchase and I am asking you to support this decision.
The current MDC system, made up of Motorola computers, was purchased and installed in 1998 and 1999. At
the time, this fixed mount computer was the best choice
given our stated requirements. Eight years later these
Motorola computers are well beyond their hardware life
expectancy, and are long since out of production. Parts
support for this computer model is scheduled to expire
soon. The Police Bureau already has to rely on aftermarket sources just to keep the computers functioning.
As the backbone for our network, the 800 MHz system
we currently use does not have the capacity to transport the kind of data necessary for modern day-to-day
operations. Field report writing, mapping for tactical
incidents, verifying identity by DMV photos and expanded access to various police data bases are some of the
functions available with modern technology for supporting field operations and investigations.
While some field report writing is happening, the fixed
position of the MDCs inside the cars makes them difficult to use on the scale we desire. After polling numerous agencies we found it is almost universally accepted
practice for officers to have easy access to laptop computers for report preparation in contact offices, on actual
calls, and for a variety of other field operations.
New computers would allow the use of modern, more
efficient technology to move data. The plan is to use
broadband accessed via computer “aircards.” This method has a large capacity and is already in use in numerous areas for this specific purpose. WiFi hotspots would
be established at police facilities, allowing the quick
transfer of data, such as reports. This system would
also allow the “global updating” of each computer as it
is powered up and affiliates
Continued on page 5
with the system, eliminating
October/November, 2007
The Portland Police Association • Maintaining the vigil since 1942
Sick leave
grievance settled
between PPA and City
by PPA Attorney Will Aitchison
& City Atttorney Catherine Riffe
If you are injured off the job you need to know there is
a safety net in place to protect you and your family.
Last year the PPA filed a
grievance because the City
began to require PPA members
who were injured off duty to
burn all sick and vacation leave
down to 80 hours before you
could apply for non service connected disability benefits from
FPD&R or through your union
sponsored Standard Insurance
policy.
Requiring burning down
your accruals was a change that
departed from a long established
past practice of allowing you to
use basically 30 days of sick or
vacation before being eligible to
apply for these non service connected disability benefits.
One of the most significant
effects of this change was to
reduce sick leave accumulation.
This both cost the city more
money and undermined PPA
members ability to pay for post
retirement health insurance
through he PPA Retirement
Medical Trust. It cost the city
more money because if they
required burning down your
sick leave bank they paid it out
at 100% instead of paying it out
on the formula outlined in the
contract for sick leave pay out
on retirement. It hurt our ability to pay for post retirement
health insurance because the
time was burned up instead of
being saved and ultimately paid
into the Trust.
So basically the grievance
settlement returned the past
practice. Below is a join letter
written by the City Attorney
Catherine Riffe and our Attor-
ney Will Aitchison.
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA)
require covered employers to
provide leave to employees
who need time away from work
because of their own serious
health condition, to care for a
covered family member with a
serious health condition, or for
parental leave. A serious health
condition under FMLA/OFLA
may include illness that many
of us don’t consider “serious.”
For example, if you miss more
than three consecutive days of
work, see a doctor and obtain
a prescription, you may have a
serious health condition. If you
have a chronic health condition
such as migraine headaches, receive periodic treatments from
a health care provider and miss
work intermittently as a result,
you probably qualify for FMLA/
OFLA protection.
Employees may not be
disciplined or suffer loss of
employment for taking FMLA/
OFLA leave. When an employee
is on FMLA leave, the employer
is obligated to maintain health
insurance benefits on the same
terms as it does with respect to
active employees.
in this issue:
Generally, an eligible employee may take up to 12 work
weeks of family medical leave
per calendar year. City policy
requires that FMLA/OFLA leave
run concurrently with the use
of accrued paid leave. However,
FMLA/OFLA leave generally
will not run concurrently with
time off for service-connected
disabilities or workers’ compensation injuries.
You must exhaust appropriate accrued leave before taking
unpaid family medical leave, except you may reserve 80 hours
of combined compensatory and
vacation time. In addition, under a recent agreement with the
City, PPA members receiving
short-term disability payments
will not be required to use their
accrued leave, but FMLA/OFLA
leave will continue to run concurrently with any non-service
connected disability.
The Bureau is allowed to determine whether your absence
is for a FMLA/OFLA qualifying
reason and to designate your
absence as FMLA/OFLA leave
if the reasons for your absence
from work qualify. Don’t be surprised if your supervisor gives
you a leave of absence form and
a medical certification to be
completed by your doctor if you
Continued on page 3
84 Years of Tradition
p.8
Editor’s Statement
p.2
Training for Patrol
p.10
Treasurer’s Report
p.4
P.P.S.C.C.
p.11
The Vigil’s Learning
Curve
p.5
Have you tried
these distractions?
p.12
Mobile DUII Vehicle
p.7
Thin Blue Front Line
p.16
Editor’s
Statement
by Detective Peter Simpson
Tactical Operations Division
Difficulties in
fostering a
more perfect
union
Last month saw the resignation and conviction of Matthew
Kohnke for Official Misconduct
related to several complaints
from women about Kohnke’s
on-duty behavior.
Since most people are aware
of the nature of the misconduct,
I don’t see the point in rehashing
it here. Rather, I have a few questions that I’d like to ask Kohnke:
What the hell is wrong with
you? Do you understand the
damage you’ve done to our
collective reputation? Do you
understand the damage you’ve
done to a police officer’s ability
to build trust with the most
vulnerable in our community?
What part of what you were doing even remotely sounded ok?
I know there are people that
were close with Kohnke that are
upset that he’s gone and want
to blame overzealous investigators, the district attorney’s
office or the PPA for Kohnke’s
resignation and conviction. It’s
too bad that their emotions
are getting in the way of facts.
Kohnke pled guilty and the reports are a shameful indictment
of his actions.
I know what it’s like to have
someone you work with get
jammed up and lose their job.
I worked with Dave Howe for
several years and thought then as
I do now that he was a very good
detective. He also came back
to work after being shot in two
different incidents, the first of
which has lingering physical effects. I considered Dave a friend.
But he had a problem and it
got the best of him. I’m sorry
he’s made choices that resulted
in his resignation but I’m not
going to sit around and blame
other people for his choices.
His actions, like Kohnke’s are
inexcusable and an embarrassment to us all.
I get why people are upset.
It’s not easy when someone you
work with gets caught up in a
situation like this but what you
need to remember is that they
made the choice to do what they
did and they have to suffer the
consequences. I hope they get
the help they so clearly need to
live a productive life after the
police bureau.
Kohnke was not the first and
certainly won’t be the last officer
to get jammed up for misconduct of a sexual nature. As a
PPA board member I’ll always
advocate that the contract be
honored and their rights be protected. But I won’t make excuses
for them when they screw up.
Chavez Boulevard?
For a city that prides itself on
community involvement in government, they sure have made
a mess of the Cesar E. Chavez
Continued on page 3
Portland Police
Association
members could get a discount on
Nationwide® auto insurance.
Portland Police Association has teamed
up with Nationwide Insurance® to bring
members a special insurance program.
You
deserve
this
Benefits available to members who
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• 24-hour claims service
• A local agent that can handle your
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• Pay your bill online, over the phone
or with automatic withdrawal
• Online access to your policy
• An auto insurance discount
It’s Good to Belong®
“This publication will be dedicated, therefore, to the principles of objective
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sworn to protect.”
James Fleming,
former Rap Sheet editor
December, 1970, Vol I, Issue I
Volume 38
Number 10
Oct/Nov, 2007
Portland Police
Association
Editor
President
Detective Robert King
SecretaryTreasurer
Sergeant Mitch Copp
Detective Peter Simpson Subscriptions
360-518-3429
Advertising 503.225.9757
Sales
Design/
Production
503.225.9760
Susan Anderson
503.225.9758
The Rap Sheet is the official monthly publication of the Portland Police Association. The Rap
Sheet is the only publication of its kind that represents the interests of men and women working
in law enforcement in Portland. Subscription rate is $20 per year. Email copy submissions to the
editor at [email protected]. The Rap Sheet office is located at 1313 NW 19th, Portland, OR
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phone
Robert King
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503-323-6015
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Secretary-Treasurer
503-323-9349
Ryan Coffey
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503-225-9760
Jim McCausland
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503-237-3534
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503-250-7887
Gary Manougian
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503-250-5169
P.A.R.T.
Police Alcohol Recovery Team
P.A.R.T. is a group of officers who are recovering alcoholics in the Portland Police Bureau. We
are made up of various ranks and come from various divisions of the Bureau. Our mission is
to help alcoholics in the law enforcement community and their families achieve and maintain
sobriety. We adhere to an ethical responsibility of confidentiality, which is a promise to an officer
to reveal nothing about his or her circumstance to any other Bureau member.
P.A.R.T. members
Centennial Insurance Group
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Local 503-595-5229
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page 2
Officer Rob Hawkins Tri-Met
503.920.1728 (pgr)
Sgt. Dave Grady LOS
503.790.7929 (pgr)
Sgt. Larry Graham SE
503-793-9291 (pgr)
503.823.0097 (wk)
Sgt. Lori Drew Sunshine Division
503.237.0346 (pgr)
503-823-2117 (wk)
Jeanette Pallori PASS Sr.
503.955.3090 (pgr)
503.823.0090 (wk)
503.962.7566 (wk)
the Rap Sheet | October/November 2007
Continued from page 2
Boulevard issue. The latest plan
involves renaming 4th Avenue,
which has especially upset many
Chinatown businesses along
NW 4th Avenue, which represents the heart of Chinatown
with the Portland Chinatown
Gate located at NW 4th and
Burnside.
The issue has polarized people on both sides of the issue
and the way the city has gone
about trying to honor Chavez
has only deepened the divide.
Instead of having a discussion
about honoring Chavez, the city
has in essence told people, “This
is going to happen, whether you
like it or not.”
What would have been wrong
with proclaiming that the City
of Portland is going to honor
the work of Cesar Chavez with
some sort of memorial and the
council wanted input from citizens on how to honor him?
I personally don’t have a stake
in whether or not Chavez is honored here or not, but I do have
an issue with a city council and
a mayor trying to force the issue
on people and the racist claims
that have been leveled at people
who oppose renaming a street
Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard.
In New York, Sixth Avenue is
also called “The Avenue of the
Americas”. Street signs proclaim
both names. Why not suggest
this for Chavez instead of flatly
renaming a street?
What about a park? There’s
a shiny brand new park being
built in Downtown Portland,
two blocks west of Pioneer
Square. Why not name that
after Chavez?
I’ve heard from some that
the Portland Farmer’s Market
should be renamed in honor of
Chavez. Not a bad idea, considering he’s best known for fighting for farm workers rights.
Anytime you rename a street
or anything else, you are going
to upset people. My grandmother, alive and well at 99 years
old was none too happy when
Union Avenue was renamed
MLK. Why? She told me that
Union Avenue was named in
honor of the Union Army which
won the Civil War thus ending slavery. She thought it was
improper to honor MLK while
simultaneously dishonoring the
nearly 700,000 Americans that
died in the Civil War.
Now I don’t know if her account of the name is true. I read
one article that said the name
“Union” was to represent the
entire United States, thus the
“union”.
Whatever it meant, the story
stuck with me and perhaps the
city council would do itself well
to reach out and ask people
what they want before deciding
what it will do because continuing down the road it’s on, the
council will continue to make
this a divisive issue and in the
end, nobody will be honored.
Keep Portland Safe PAC
Kicker checks are on the
way so there’s no better time to
write that check to the PPA PAC.
If you are single, the $50 is a tax
credit which you get back with
your taxes, if you are married,
$100 comes back. This is a direct
credit so you don’t actually lose
anything out of your pocket.
The PPA has a lot on the
table in the next couple of years
and your contributions to the
PAC will help the PPA promote
a public safety agenda since
nobody else seems to want to
carry that torch.
Talk to your family members
and encourage them to contribute to the PPA PAC if they aren’t
already dedicating those funds
to another issue.
Don’t delay and cut that
check for the Keep Portland
Safe PAC.
Letters
It’s a sad day
By Officer Ryan Goss – East Precinct
I’ve written, revised, deleted, and rewritten this letter more
times that I can count and I still don’t know what I want to say
or how to say it.
We are proud of our
Portland Police Officers!
I’ve been told ‘it won’t do any good’, ‘it won’t change anything’, ‘you’ll put a target on your back’, ‘it won’t bring him
back’, and ‘remember you still have a long career left.’
I feel like I can’t just let it pass without saying something.
Mistakes were made, professional courtesy was withheld, contract rules were broken and admitted, grievances were filed,
trust was lost, support was not given, facts were distorted,
lies were made, media was one-sided, additional monies were
denied, choices were contemplated and pleas were made.
•
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Those who know Matt know his character and his work ethic.
Those who don’t know him cast judgment.
All I know is Portland lost a great cop, and I lost a partner.
What I know for sure is I didn’t lose a friend.
Continued from page 1
call in sick 4 days in a row or if
your absences suggest that you
may qualify for family medical
leave. You should make sure you
return the completed paperwork within 15 days.
Employees taking planned
FMLA/OFLA leave are expected
to provide their supervisor with
a completed leave of absence
application and medical certification form at least 30 days
prior to the leave. A medical
certification is not required for
parental leave. If your need for
leave is unforeseeable, give your
supervisor notice as soon as you
can but no later than two days
after you return to work.
If you want to know more
about family medical leave, you
may review the City’s policy –
HR Rule 6.05 Family Medical
Leave online or ask your supervisor for a copy. City employees
may access this information by
logging onto http://www.portlandonline.com/ and opening
the Human Resources page.
read us online at www.ppavigil.org
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last a lifetime!
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page 3
Treasurer’s
Report
by Sergeant Mitch Copp
Secretary-Treasurer
Use of Force
change requires
negotiation
As your treasurer, my
primary responsibility is to preserve and maintain the financial health of the PPA. Perhaps
because of my role, I find the
proposed Use of Force directive
revision much more troubling
than some others.
The revision stresses that the
“least” amount of force be used
by members, as opposed to the
“reasonable” amount of force in
the current directive. My opinion
is that the revision makes it
much more subjective. That subjectivity makes it easier for the
city to sustain discipline against
an officer, and for that discipline
to later be upheld if arbitrated.
This affects every PPA
member, not only those who are
involved in deadly force. Our
labor contract provides that the
city will reimburse the PPA for
legal representation provided to
a member who uses deadly force.
Currently, if you are involved in
deadly force, the PPA will hire
a criminal defense attorney to
represent you. We pay all of his
fees, knowing that the city will
eventually reimburse the PPA.
However, the PPA is only reimbursed if the member sustains
no discipline as a result of his
actions on the street. The subjectivity of the revised directive
makes it less likely the city will
provide reimbursement to the
PPA. For example, the city may
believe that an officer should
have used a taser, not a firearm,
to stop a threat, and issue the
officer a letter of reprimand. The
letter of reprimand alone would
absolve the city from its responsibility to provide reimbursement. The PPA then eats the
costs of representation, which
can climb into the thousands.
Think of McCollister and
others who have been involved
in recent controversial shootings. The PPA knows these are
appropriate, justified actions.
There are those managers and
elected officials, however, who
believe discipline should have
been imposed, and they don’t
enjoy sending the PPA a check
for costly legal representation.
Our labor contract is in effect
until June, 2010. Because legal
reimbursement provided for in
the contract is so intertwined
with the Use of Force Directive,
my position is that any modification of the current directive violates the contract and is invalid.
The city would need a signed
Memorandum of Agreement
from the PPA, which has been
approved by a majority of the
Executive Board, to actually hold
members accountable to the
new standard. As of this writing,
no M.O.A. has been approved by
the board.
PPA members should compare side by side both the current and proposed directives,
and contact your precinct VP
if you share my concerns. The
financial health of your labor
union could be at stake.
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page 4
F R E E
1 - 8 0 0 - 3 9 8 - 7 1 7 7
w w w.s t a n d a r d t v a n d a p p l i a n c e.c o m
City rules may be
outside the lines
This letter was sent by President Robert King to
Chief Rosie Sizer and BHR Director Yvonne Deckard
on November 7, 2007.
The Portland Police Association has learned that the City
is insisting that PPA members sign acknowledgements
that they have received and understand the following
City rules:
Section 2.02,
Prohibition Against Workplace
Harassment, Discrimination
and Retaliation.
Section 4.01,
Drug and Alcohol Use Prohibited.
Section 4.08,
Information Technologies.
Section 4.09,
Use of City Resources.
Section 4.12,
Workplace Violence Prohibited.
Section 5.01,
Employee Discipline.
Section 11.01,
Statement of Ethical Conduct.
Section 11.02,
Prohibited Conduct.
Section 11.03,
Duty To Report Unlawful or
Improper Actions.
I write to remind you that, under the terms of the PPA’s
contract, mandatory subjects of bargaining such as discipline may not be changed by the City absent assent by
the PPA. When most, if not all, of the above-referenced
rules were enacted by the City, the PPA notified the City
that any attempt to implement the rules against PPA
members would be treated by the PPA as a contract
violation. The City has not responded to any of these
notifications from the PPA. The PPA is now reiterating
that the standards for discipline of PPA members may
not be unilaterally changed by the City, and that the PPA
will resist any attempt to enforce these rules against PPA
members.
Moreover, the PPA has submitted comments to the City
about many of the above-listed rules. In some cases,
the PPA has observed that the rules do not conform to
existing law (Section 2.02, for example), and in others the PPA has pointed out where the rules are vague,
contradictory, and either difficult or impossible to understand and apply. The City has entirely failed to respond
to any of the PPA’s comments on the rules. This failure,
as well as the troublesome ways in which the rules are
written, make the application of the rules to PPA members even more troublesome, and bolster the PPA’s resolve to challenge the rules if and when the City applies
them to PPA members.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Are you a PPA member
currently on disability?
Please visit www.ppavigil.org
for information regarding dues
assessment while on
disability status.
the Rap Sheet | October/November 2007
One year
of the Vigil’s
learning curve
by Officer Andy Edgecomb
Southeast Precinct
It’s hard to believe it has
been nearly a year since I was
elected to the PPA Executive
Board as the Southeast Precinct
Vice President. As I think back,
I realize that I really had no
idea what I was getting into.
There is so much going on in the
PPA “behind the scenes” so to
speak, that it’s easy to fall into
the assumption that nothing
is going on and all is calm. Our
sometimes cynical nature would
speculate: “The Union’s not doing anything”. Nothing could be
further from the truth.
My prior PPA involvement
consisted of drinking my share
of beer at the picnic and contributing to the PAC. Like many of
us, I have utilized the benefits
of the contract without giving
much of a thought as to what all
went into creating it. The time
and efforts of a relatively small
group of people play a huge part
in the daily operations of the Bureau. Robert and Mitch shoulder
much of the burden and take the
lead on the many complex political and internal issues that affect
the membership.
I found myself overwhelmed
and just a little intimidated
when I realized the scope of
my position. The first thing I
did was read and re-read the
contract. I’ve discovered it is a
lot like reading the Bible; you
learn something new every time
and it is open to interpretation.
Though after reading the sales
contract for the last vehicle I
bought, our contract is fairly
straight forward.
The first couple of IA interviews I went to were a little
more daunting. Having only
been to IA a few times in the
last 15 years, I didn’t have a lot
of personal experience to draw
on. I did a lot of reading and
asked a lot of questions. The first
couple of interviews I was more
nervous than the Officer getting
interviewed.
In order to help get us
E-Board Rookies up to speed,
Mike Villanti and I were sent
to a three day “Rights of Police
Officers” seminar. I was skeptical about what I could learn that
would be relevant to us. As it
turned out, this seminar was full
of useful information. I came
away with a much clearer image
of the “Big Picture” in terms if
IA interviews, the discipline process, labor laws and why things
work the way they do.
This seminar also convinced
me there is a small percentage
of the police population nationwide that has nothing better to
do than sit around and think
of ways to get fired. Everything
from selling department owned
equipment on eBay to starring in amateur porn videos in
uniform. The level of stupidity is
Continued from page 1
the current need to touch each machine when updates
are needed.
The current 800 MHz public safety-grade data system
would be retained as a backup in the event other communications become disabled. A mechanism is being
developed to allow a “seamless” switch. Obviously, during the duration of operations on the 800 system in this
scenario, our resource access would be limited to current levels.
The current proposal is to utilize a tablet style of laptop computer. Its screen swivels 180 degrees and folds
over the keyboard leaving the screen exposed. In this
fashion, it can be inserted in a mount in the car with a
full-sized keyboard attached for vehicular use with CAD
(computer aided dispatch). When the need arises to
use a standard laptop computer outside of the car, the
tablet is removed from the car mount, unfolded, and the
screen spun back to allow viewing while using the computer’s built-in keyboard.
Utilizing today’s technology is necessary to effectively
serve and protect our community. This purchase is overdue. We hope we can count on your support.
read us online at www.ppavigil.org
amazing. It’s funny and entertaining, as long as it happens
somewhere else.
This last legislative session
had several important law
enforcement bills on the agenda.
Bob Miller (our representative
to the OPCA) along with Robert
and Mitch made a number of
trips to Salem to testify before
various committees. Bob was
quick to recruit me as an “e-mail
lobbyist”. I ended up sending
hundreds of e-mails to state
lawmakers regarding issues important to us – Safety as a collective bargaining subject and the
release of Grand Jury testimony
in deadly force cases – were of
utmost concern. After spending
a considerable amount of time
on writing individual e-mails to
each Senator and Representative
on the first go round – I learned
that they don’t necessarily read
them. They have a staffer count
the “yea” and “nay” vote from
constituents and tailor their
vote accordingly. Once I found
this out, I got very proficient at
cut and paste. On the next goround I’m going to recruit more
people to help send e-mails.
Thank you to those who gave me
a hand, often at the last minute.
Over the past few months I
have also had the opportunity to
participate in E-Board meetings
with the Mayor, Chief, Assistant
Chief, City Auditor and City Attorney covering a range of topics. Some of these conversations
have been productive, others not
so much. This is perhaps the area
where I feel the most satisfaction – voicing the often overlooked concerns of the street officers – to those who sometimes
forget we are the “backbone” of
the Bureau.
This is but a fraction of what
goes on within the PPA. I am
honored to be entrusted with
this position. Now that I have
gotten my feet wet and starting
to feel comfortable,, I’m hoping
to reach out and get more of the
membership involved. We have
some challenges ahead of us and
I am going to do a better job of
getting information out so that
we can all share in “Maintaining
the Vigil”.
Holiday & Memorial
Wreaths for Sale
Fundraiser for the Portland Police Historical Society
Wreaths are made with fresh evergreen branches and pinecones.
Holiday wreaths have a red bow and memorial wreaths
have a blue bow.
Sizes and costs of wreaths are:
24” wreath- $22.50
30” wreath- $24.50
35” wreath- $30.00.
Order deadline is Friday November 30.
Orders will be delivered by Tuesday December 4.
Contact Liza Dormady at 503-823-0019.
Profits benefit the Portland Police Historical Society a 501(c)3 organization.
Fall in line with
5.11 Tactical
The new 5.11 Tactical lineup
is in stock.
Don’t get left behind this fall. Come in and get
what you need today.
Shop online www.blumentaluniforms.com.
Portland
9047 SW Barbur Blvd
503-452-5055
M-F 9:00am - 5:30pm
Sa 9:00am - 1:00pm
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page 5
Internal investigation
leads to plea for
Official Misconduct
On Friday, October 26, 2007,
Matthew Kohnke, a 33-yearold, 9-year member of the Police
Bureau, pled guilty to Official
Misconduct and resigned from
the Police Bureau as the result
of a criminal investigation that
began earlier this year.
On June 25, 2007, an East
Precinct sergeant contacted
a 27-year-old woman who
wanted to complain about
the conduct of an officer who
stopped her the day before.
The woman stated that she
had been searched by other officers on numerous prior occasions and on this occasion the
officer made statements and
conducted himself in a way she
believed was unprofessional.
The conduct described by
the woman did not include
sexual contact. The woman did
not know the name of the officer and provided the sergeant
with a time for the contact that
was later found to be incorrect.
The sergeant documented
the woman’s complaint and
notified his Command Staff,
the Chief’s Office, and the Detective Division. The sergeant
also gave the woman contact
information for Independent
Police Review.
Less than 72 hours after
the Police Bureau received the
complaint, two detectives were
assigned to conduct the investigation. The detectives spent the
next several days attempting
to locate the woman who lived
a transient lifestyle. Their only
point of contact was a residence
whose occupants were openly
hostile to the detectives.
On July 6, 2007, the detectives finally located the woman.
The initial investigation required
several additional interviews
because the woman could not
initially identify the officer.
After showing the woman
the photo’s of numerous officers
and repeated interviews, detectives finally identified Matthew
Kohnke as the person involved
in the contact. After identifying
Kohnke the detectives determined the actual time and location of the contact.
While detectives were
conducting the initial portions
of the investigation, Mathew
Kohnke was on vacation.
During that time, detectives located a second person who described similar and potentially
illegal contact with Kohnke.
When Kohnke returned from
vacation, the Police Bureau
placed him in the Telephone
Report Unit to prevent him
from having any additional
contact with citizens. Within a
few days, the investigation progressed to the point that the
Police Bureau placed Kohnke
on paid administrative leave.
During the investigation,
detectives identified five women
who may have information essential to the investigation. Four
of the five women lived transient
life styles and detectives were
only able to locate four of the
women. Of the four women detectives interviewed, all but one
had their contact with Kohnke
prior to June 25, 2007. The last
had contact sometime between
July 3rd and July 5th 2007.
None of the contact included
allegations of sexual contact.
From the time the Police Bureau received the information
to the time the investigation
was forwarded to the District
Attorney’s Office for prosecution, the detectives involved
were directed to focus on this
investigation as their main
priority. Detectives found no
information to suggest that
any other officer was aware of
or condoned any of Kohnke’s
conduct.
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page 6
Movers
& Shakers
Recent retirements, transfers, resignations
and promotions.
Criminalist John COURTNEY (DPSST # 10163) Identification
Division retired from the Bureau after twenty-six years
of service.
Sergeant Marilyn DONNER (DPSST # 7960) Internal Affairs
Division retired from the Bureau after twenty-six years of
service.
Sergeant Jan ELLERTSON (DPSST # 23680) East Precinct
transferred to the Training Division.
Sergeant Matthew ENGEN (DPSST # 29983) Northeast Precinct transferred to Central Precinct.
Police Officer Celeste FENDER (DPSST # 28921) Family Services Division was promoted to Detective and assigned to the
Detective Division.
Police Officer Christopher GJOVIK (DPSST # 38946) East Precinct transferred to the Transit Police Division.
Police Officer Tashia HAGER (DPSST # 22213) Transit Police
was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to Northeast Precinct.
Police Officer Scherise HOBBS (DPSST # 30864) returned to
duty from a Leave of Service and was assigned to Records /
Telephone Report Unit.
Police Officer Hythum ISMAIL (DPSST # 41302) returned
from an Administrative Leave and was assigned to Records /
Telephone Report Unit.
Police Officer Gregory JEARDEAU (DPSST # 42306) resigned
from the Bureau.
Police Officer Aleksandr KOROTEYEV (DPSST # 46359) resigned from the Bureau.
Police Officer Dana LEWIS (DPSST # 41830) Northeast Precinct was promoted to Detective and assigned to the Detective
Division.
Police Officer Patrick MAWDSLEY (DPSST # 46428) returned
to duty from a Leave of Service and was assigned to Records /
Telephone Report Unit.
Police Officer Eric MCDANIEL (DPSST # 41372) East Precinct
was promoted to Detective and assigned to the Detective Division.
Police Officer Matthew MCDONALD (DPSST # 26766) returned
to duty from a Leave of Service and was assigned to Strategic
Services / Emergency Management.
Sergeant Thomas MCGRANAHAN (DPSST # 10949) North
Precinct transferred to the Tactical Operations Division / Metro
Gang Task Force.
Sergeant James MORRIS (DPSST # 29314) Northeast Precinct
transferred to North Precinct / Neighborhood Response Team.
Police Officer Maury MUDRICK (DPSST # 18761) Southeast
Precinct was promoted to Detective and assigned to the Detective Division.
Police Officer Thanh NGUYEN (DPSST # 28979) Northeast
Precinct was promoted to Detective and assigned to the Detective Division.
Police Officer Anthony PASSADORE (DPSST # 33482) East
Precinct was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to Northeast
Precinct.
Police Officer Daryl TURNER (DPSST # 25221) Drugs and Vice
Division will transfer to Central Precinct.
Sergeant George WEATHEROY (DPSST # 20824) Detective
Division transferred to the Identification Division.
Police Officer Trent WIEST (DPSST # 41757) Central Precinct
transferred to Southeast Precinct.
Police Officer Harold WOLLSTEIN (DPSST # 39011) Northeast
Precinct transferred to Central Precinct.
the Rap Sheet | October/November 2007
State police
unveil mobile
DUII processing
vehicle
by Kate Wennerstrom
The Central Oregonian
A high-tech jail cell on wheels has rolled into
central Oregon and made its debut at the Paulina
Rodeo on September 22
“It’s a 36-foot Winnebago
Voyage motor home,” said
Oregon State Police (OSP)
Sergeant Don Wagner. “It’s basically a mobile police station.
This is really a convenient tool
for us to use.
us a place to finish our investigation without having to drive
a two hour round trip.
In Oregon, portable breath
tests are not admissible in
court. Therefore, officers
have to rely on field sobriety
and transport the subject so
the officer can actually stay in
the area,” Wagner said. “It’s
not about making a whole
bunch of arrests. It’s more
about being able to facilitate
the arrests that we make.
While its first appearance
was at the Paulina Rodeo, the
MDPC will be available for any
law enforcement agency in the
state to utilize
“We’ll honor requests from
any agency to use it and it
can be for any event that they
request,” Wagner said. “In
this case (Paulina Rodeo), it’s
just the location of the event,
because it’s so rural. Not that
it’s going to be overwhelming in size for us, but it’s just
very convenient to have it out
there.
Michael Colbach
Personal Injury Attorney
503-243-1900
1916 SW Madison, Portland, OR 97205
oregonaccidentattorney.com
[email protected]
You contribute to our safety.
We invest in your future.
Call today and find out how
our loans for police officers
can turn your dream of
buying a home into reality.
The Mobile DUII (driving
under the influence of intoxicants) Processing Center
(MDPC) has been retrofitted
to contain three Intoxilyzer
breath-alcohol testing units,
three work stations with laptop computers and printers,
and two temporary holding
cells. It was purchased and retrofitted by the Oregon State
Police with a $171,000 grant
from the Oregon Department
of Transportation’s Safety
Division
“Something like this is
great because we can take it
to the event,” Wagner said.
“We’re basically taking the
police station out to the event.
It’s just like a normal arrest.
If we come across somebody
while we’re patrolling and we
arrest them for DUII or something related, then it just gives
tests until the subject can
be taken to a facility with an
Intoxilyzer. The MDPC has
the actual Intoxilyzers on
board, so breath-alcohol tests
performed on the mobile unit
will be admissible in court, as
if the test had been taken at a
police station
“Depending on where you
make an arrest, like in Paulina, it can be an hour or more
before you get (the subject) to
an Intoxilyzer,” Wagner said.
“We’re losing evidence as we
drive down the road.
The on-site police station
will also give officers the
chance to get back to patrolling sooner
“We can either cite and
release right there depending
on what the charges are, or
we can make arrangements to
have corrections people come
read us online at www.ppavigil.org
Julie Aitchison Senior Loan Officer
Beth Mulvihill
503-635-2994 phone
[email protected]
503-708-2847 phone • [email protected]
Real Estate Agent & Former Police Officer
Aside from rural areas, the
mobile unit can also be used
for events that typically produce a significant amount of
DUII arrests
“A good example would
be Oktoberfest in Silverton
where they do arrest a high
number of DUIIs,” Wagner
said. “Normally, a single law
enforcement facility would
have one Intoxilyzer or one
machine to measure blood
alcohol.
In effect, this mobile unit
can process three suspected
drunk drivers at a time, saving
valuable time for the officers
making the arrests
“It’s about having that
facility available,” Wagner
said. “Obviously, Labor Day
weekend, traditionally, has
high fatalities (associated with
drunk drivers).”
page 7
COPS, CROOKS,
CLERGY
&
A Portland police officer in the ‘50s and
socially turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s loses his wife
in a tragic accident and later becomes a
Catholic priest. Cops, Crooks, and Clergy takes
you on the fascinating career journey -and
journey of spiritual discovery - of veteran
Portland Police Captain James Harvey.
Order COPS, CROOKS, AND CLERGY at
amazon.com or outskirtspress.com
Portland police officers,
thank you for what you choose
to endure each day on our behalf.
Sunshine Division
holiday food boxes: A
Portland Police tradition
by Britt Rosenberg
The Sunshine Division
Where would you turn if you were facing a traumatic
life event and needed support? For most of us, we can
imagine a sturdy foundation of close family members,
coworkers, neighbors, and friends to whom we could
turn. However, many folks do not have the luxury of
this type of supportive network.
Snyder & Hoag, LLC
PO Box 12737
Portland, OR 97212
503-222-9290 phone
For the woman and
her children leaving a
domestic violence situation or the family whose
primary income earner
has been laid off, for the
elderly couple who must
decide whether to buy
prescription medications or groceries, or
for the person with a
chronic health condition, support systems
are not always present.
Life is full of challenges which sometimes
leave us feeling discouraged and powerless with
nowhere to turn. Crises can
happen to anyone at anytimenone of us is immune. For this
reason the Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division exists.
In 1923, Portland Police
officers on the streets began to
notice rising numbers of families negatively impacted by the
economic crisis sweeping the
nation. More and more families
faced food and housing insecurity. Many lost their homes and
were forced to live in an area
known as Sullivan’s Gulch, a
shanty town located where I-5
and I-84 currently meet.
In response to the crisis,
Portland officers pooled their
page 8
mission is to provide food to
those in need. Sunshine provides food to more than 660
adults and 570 children each
month, directly from its North
Portland location.
The Sunshine warehouse is a
major distribution center, annually dispensing over one million pounds of bulk
food to 40 nonprofit
organizations. In past
months, the Sunshine Division has
seen an enormous
surge in the number
of families seeking emergency food
relief—in August
2007, they provided
80% more food than
in August of 2006.
With the growing
number of families
and individuals asking
for help, the Sunshine
Division must continue to rise to meet the
community’s requireFor 84 years
the Sunshine
Division has
packed and
delivered holiday
boxes to Portland
families in need.
This year the
Sunshine
Division expects
to deliver 4,000
boxes — 800
more than last
year.
own money and collected donations to purchase groceries and
supplies for these needy families. With the money collected,
officers provided families with
groceries, blankets, clothing,
soap and a washing tub to bathe
and wash clothes in.
During the holidays, more
officers and volunteers became
involved as they created and
delivered holiday food boxes to
those in need of assistance—
thus the Portland Police Bureau
Sunshine Division began.
The Sunshine Division is an
independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which has evolved over
the past 84 years to satisfy the
changing needs of the community. The Division’s primary
ment for emergency services.
In order to do this successfully,
the Division must increase the
amount of support coming in
from the community, especially
from Portland Police Bureau
personnel.
The Sunshine Division’s goal
for 2008 is to increase Police
Bureau personnel participation
and involvement in Sunshine
programs by more than 100%.
There are many ways that officers can become involved with
the Sunshine Division. Through
the Officer Referral Program, the
Izzy’s Kids School Clothing Program, the Precinct Delivery ProContinued on page 9
the Rap Sheet | October/November 2007
Help neighbors find
their solutions with support
from Resolutions Northwest
by Sandy Bacharach
Resolutions Northwest
City of Portland residents
can access free mediation services to resolve their differences. Our staff and volunteer mediators are highly skilled adults
and teens who help people
break down conflicts into manageable parts and say what they
need to say in non-threatening
ways. Mediation is available, at
low or no cost, in English and
Spanish and in other languages
with interpretation.
We work with:
Neighbors who have difficulties communicating over fences,
noise, neighborhood appearance, and more;
Parents or guardians and
their teenage children on improving negative communication patterns, changes in family
structure, trouble in school and
running away;
Divorced or separated parents on changes in parenting
and communication status;
Neighborhoods building Good
Neighbor Agreements with social
services and businesses that
impact the neighborhood.
Our mediation programs
offer a personal and respectful
way for neighbors, landlords
and tenants, and community
members to settle their disputes
peacefully and respectfully. The
neighborhood program handles
about 600 disputes a year in the
Portland community.
Many neighbor disputes that
have involved repeated calls to
police have been successfully
deescalated and resolved by referring the parties to mediation.
Resolutions Northwest has
small tear off referral slips that
officers can carry with them.
They are printed in both English and Spanish.
If you would like further
information on the services of
RNW or our printed referral
materials please call us at (503)
595-4890.
RNW is now accepting applications for a limited number
of spots available for our annual
volunteer mediation training.
This 35-hour basic media-
tion training is offered free in
exchange for a one-year weekly
volunteer commitment with
Resolutions Northwest.
2008 training dates:
Wednesday, January 9th:
6pm - 9pm
Friday, January 11th:
8am – 5pm
Saturday, January 12th:
8am – 5pm
Friday, January 18th:
8am – 5pm
Saturday, January 19th:
8am – 5pm
Peek behind the badge ...
Where humor maintained sanity as a shield
against disasters, death and reality.
y
by Ronald R. Still
Chief of Police, Retired
Portland, Oregon
“ Chief Still has provided a
candid, non-politically
correct, often funny, picture
of urban policing.”
- Francis J. Ivancie, Former Mayor,
the City of Portland
OUT OF THE BLUE is available
for purchase at the Portland Police
Historical Museum, Oregon Historical
ical
Society, and Powell’s Books.
Application deadline:
November 26, 2007
got
a
lot
on your back?
Obtain application forms:
Online: www.resolutionsnorthwest.org
In person: 1827 NE 44th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland OR
97213
By mail: call Resolutions Northwest at (503) 595-4890 to have
an application mailed to you.
work injuries?
auto injuries?
Call Dr. William Jackson
(Chiropractic Physician and
Former Police Officer)
*CityNet Provider
Continued from page 8
gram or the upcoming Holiday
Food Box Program, the Division
relies upon the help of officers to
help Portland’s most vulnerable
community members.
When families and individuals need food relief, making
that initial call for help can be
extremely difficult. People who
have never needed to ask for
help often feel a sense of shame
and fear about getting assistance. The Sunshine Division
prides itself on making people
feel comfortable and welcome
by treating all clients with
respect and dignity.
Sunshine staff members have
learned that tough times can
fall upon anyone at anytime.
Like the mother who lost her
little boy to cancer and had
been out of work caring for him
while the medical bills mounted, or the young crime victim
who lost everything. These are
normal people facing extremely
traumatic life events. The thing
they need the most may not be
the emergency food box they
receive or the new clothing, but
the smiles and compassion they
receive from Sunshine Division
staff members and volunteers.
In December, the Sunshine
Division will, for its 84th year,
create and distribute holiday
food boxes. These holiday boxes
are filled with everything a family needs to make a traditional
holiday meal. This Portland
tradition would not be complete
without the help of Portland
Police Bureau personnel.
The Sunshine Division is
hoping to engage as many police
personnel as possible this year
to aid us in our holiday efforts.
This year, the Division hopes
to fill and deliver 4,000 holiday
boxes—800 more boxes than
last year with the help of community volunteers. The Sunshine Division invites volunteers to come and help pack and
read us online at www.ppavigil.org
deliver holiday boxes.
Mark your calendars for
the Sunshine Division’s Pack
Nights which will be from 6 to
9pm on Monday, December 10
and Wednesday, December 12,
2007.
The following Saturday, December 15, beginning at 8am,
volunteers will deliver the food
boxes. This is a great family
activity.
For more information about
the Sunshine Division and/or
volunteer opportunities contact
Britt Rosenberg, Community
Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator at britt@sunshinedivision.
org or (503) 823-2116.
STARKWOOD
CHIROPRACTIC
11115 SE Stark St. PDX 97216 503.256.4830
(near East Precinct)
Now available!
by JOSTEN’S
Portland
Police
Tribute
Ring
For more information,
contact the PPA Office
at 503.225.9760
page 9
Training
for Patrol
by Kate Wennerstrom
The Central Oregonian
Officers from throughout the Pacific Northwest meet
in Prineville for mounted patrol training
There IS life after
police work ...
Portland Patrol Inc. (PPI) provides armed security
services to a variety of clients in the City of Portland including many within the 213 square blocks of its downtown
Business Improvement District.
We currently have several retired Portland Police Bureau
officers and supervisors working with us at PPI.
PPI provides excellent wages and benefits including a
health care package and vacation time to its full-time
employees. We offer flexible work schedules and have
openings for both full-time and part-time positions.
Whether you’re interested in working for PPI or just want
to find out more information, please give PPI a call at
503.224.7383 and ask to speak to a supervisor.
Portland Patrol Inc.
208 NW 1st Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97209
phone 503.224.7383
Medical & theraputic
treatment for:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Injuries – Work Comp and Motor Vehicle
Chronic neck and low back pain
Headaches and migraines
Shoulder/rotator cuff injuries
Sciatic pain – pinched nerve
Massage
Therapeutic exercise, including
athletic perspective.
page 10
John M. Takacs, D.O.
former Portland Reserve Police Officer
Joan P. Takacs, D.O.
Kevin Kane, D.O.
5909 SE Division Street,
Portland, Oregon
503-234-1531 phone
More than two dozen additional police officers rode
through Prineville one day in
September.
The troupe of mounted officers came to Prineville as part
of an international seminar to
teach the basics of crowd and
riot control.
“Through Sept. 13, the Prineville Police Department (PPD)
and the City of Prineville hosted
the eighth annual Northwest
Mounted Squad Seminar,”
PPD Chief Eric Bush said. “The
training is an advanced training
for mounted police officers and
the primary focus is equitation
skills, horse riding skills.”
The course is primarily
taught by two members of the
London Metropolitan Police Department, Mounted Branch and
one Royal Canadian Mounted
Policeman, Equitation Branch.
Approximately 30 full-time
police officers from the U.S. and
Canada took part in the program this year.
“All of those students that
normally participate in that
seminar came here to Prineville,” Bush said. “The officers
came from Portland, Seattle,
Vancouver, Wash., Vancouver,
British Columbia, Calgary, Alberta, and Jackson, Wyo.”
Also attending the seminar
were five Prineville Police Department officers.
“This was the fourth year
we’ve done this seminar,” Bush
said. “Right now, we have three
officers that are actively riding,
and we have two more that are
in the beginning stages of it.”
The seminar is usually held
in either Vancouver, B.C. or
Portland. About a year ago, the
event coordinators asked the
Prineville Police Department to
host the event.
“I know that up in Portland
they lost some of the space
where they normally do some
of the training, due to development,” Bush said. “They were a
little concerned about having
adequate space to put it on and
one thing we do have here in
Prineville is space, especially
when you compare it to a major
urban area.”
The opportunity to bring the
intensive training seminar to Prineville was a big draw for Bush.
“We felt it would be a great
thing for Prineville - to bring
this caliber of law enforcement training to a place like
Prineville, Oregon,” Bush said.
“There is no other
training like this
anywhere in the
northwestern
United States or
southwestern
Canada. All the
big city mounted
units use this
training to bring
in new riders,
validate their
training and validate their horses,
so it’s a very important training
for us.”
Using the English-style of
riding, officers learn jumping
and maneuvering techniques
as a staple of the program. In a
crowd control situation, officers
on horseback might have to
dodge objects being thrown at
them, jump over fires or debris
and not panic in the meantime.
“A big part of the training is
English equitation,” Bush said.
“That makes us better riders and
makes the horses better horses.
Participants and their horses
also had the chance to learn
valuable mounted police methods, such as crowd control and
basic mounted patrolling.
“We spend a lot of time
practicing moving in urban
environments, in groups of
horses,” Bush said. “We practice things like crowd control.
We also do a lot of what we call
desensitization with the horse,
where we get them used to a lot
of things that normally scare
horses. Things like fire, things
being thrown at them, big scary
objects, people screaming and
holding signs.”
LEFT & BELOW:
Portland’s
Mounted Patrol
Unit was one of
several attending
the eighth annual
Northwest
Mounted Squad
Seminar held in
Prineville, Oregon
Photos courtesy of
The Central Oregonian
the Rap Sheet | October/November 2007
Portland
Police Bureau
P.P.S.C.C. FUND
Michael W. Staropoli
Attorney at Law
The P.P.S.C.C. Fund
503.226.2332
The PPSCC (Portland Police Special Contributions) Fund is set up under city code and held in
trust with contributions voluntarily donated by bureau employees by way of payroll deduction for the following purposes, as stated in the PPSCC by-laws.
1. To provide emergency financial assistance to Police Bureau members and their
immediate families.
2. To provide financial assistance to non-profit charitable organizations and groups.
How Does It Work?
Hundreds of Police Bureau employees currently
contribute to the PPSCC Fund. Their contributions
are divided between a number of charitable organizations in the community, including the Sunshine
Division, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and
Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital. Groups within
the Police Bureau like EAP, the Honor Guard and
the Portland Police Highland Guard also receive
money from the PPSCC Fund. The amount each
group receives is determined by the Portland Police
Special Contributions Committee based on a tally
of votes cast by all the contributors of the Fund.
needs of bureau members. This is a resource for
bureau personnel and members of their immediate families when financial difficulties due to illness or other unforeseen expenses have occurred.
How Can I Contribute?
Obtain a payroll deduction card from Fiscal if you
would like to contribute to the PPSCC Fund. You
can donate as much as you would like, but because we use payroll deduction there is a minimum donation of $5.00 per pay period.
A portion of the Fund is not pledged to charities,
but is held in reserve for the emergency financial
On an annual average, in consideration of the
portion of the Fund held in reserve for police bureau members and/or their families, approximately 80% of your contribution will be tax deductible.
P.P.S.C.C. By-Laws
What If I Need Help?
ARTICLE III: PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES
ARTICLE IX: DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS
The purposes and objectives of the
PPSCC shall be as follows:
Aid to Bureau Members: As discussed in ARTICLE III, one of the two principle purposes of the
PPSCC fund is to financially support Police Bureau
members and their families. Bureau members soliciting aid shall use the following procedure:
1. To provide emergency financial assistance to
Police Bureau members and their immediate families. The term emergency as used in these bylaws shall mean circumstances or situations that
if monies for essential medical care (insurance) or
financial obligations are not provided dire consequences shall result. The term immediate family
shall mean the member, the member’s spouse or
domestic partner and their children, stepchildren,
legally adopted children or any child that you are
the legal guardian.
[email protected]
1. A bureau member seeking aid shall contact
the Executive Committee Chair or designee.
Designees can include, but not be limited to, the
Facilitator, EAP Staff, or other person(s) designated by the Chair.
2. The bureau member should make a written
request. However, in urgent situations a request
can be delivered by phone.
2. To provide financial assistance to non-profit
charitable organizations and groups.
3. The request must contain the following information:
3. To establish practices and procedures for
disbursement of all funds collected from contributors.
a. The name, assignment, work and home phone
numbers, and other contact information of the
member making the request.
4. To provide oversight on the on-going administration of all other PPSCC business not specifically
mentioned in these bylaws.
b. The nature of the emergency/situation that
has led to the request.
2 locations:
2525 SE Clinton, Portland
503-233-5301
703 East Main Street, Medford
541-245-6919
c. The dollar amount of PPSCC funds requested.
d. How the funds will be used.
There shall be a $2,500.00 or 25%, whichever
is less, cap on the monies available to any single
bureau member or family unit per calendar year.
You can request a copy of the by-laws from the
EAP Office 503-823-0091.
P.P.S.C.C. listed below:
Commander Dave Benson (Chair) P.P.C.O.A.
823-4295
Detective Robert King - P.P.A.
225-9761
Lieutenant Michael Leloff Sworn
823-4881
Lieutenant Bryan Parman Sworn
823-5071
Sergeant Kim Keist - Sworn
823-0092
ID Tech Brooke Brown Non-Sworn
823-0383
read us online at www.ppavigil.org
Police Records Supervisor
Sandi Buhrmaster-Jelinski Non-Sworn
823-0053
PASS SR. Joanne Johnson Non-Sworn
823-4190
PASS Kim Gates - Non-Sworn
823-0875
PRS Heather Jordan Non-Sworn
823-0752
PASS SR. Angie Nelson - Facilitator
823-0091
“ Portland Police Association members have been a large
part of my client base for years and I’m committed to
bringing you the best possible financial arrangements
that I can. Just ask around. ”
David Lind
Chase Manhattan’s Home Equity Line-of-Credit
program offers you the following features:
· Zero cost to you.
· Competetive interest rates.
· Free appraisal of your home.
· No prepayment penalties.
David Lind Loan Officer · 503-341-2222 cell
422 NW 13th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97209
email: [email protected]
page 11
Have you tried
these distractions?
by Forces Science Research Center News
Volume #81
p r o p r i e t o r s
Dominick Jacobellis
503-453-5155
&
Larry Wooten
503-914-8767
Licensed, bonded, insured ccb#169913
Portland Police Highland Guard
The Portland Police Highland Guard is proud to serve
the members of the PPB and our community. Our organization
is comprised of Portland Police officers, firefighters,
dispatchers and family members of the same.
The Highland Guard is a 501-c3, not-for-profit, organization.
Your contributions are our primary funding resource
and they are greatly appreciated!
Please mail them to: PPHG, PO Box 4072, Portland, OR 97208
www.portlandpolicehighlandguard.com
In a recent report on the value of using distractions to defuse potentially violent confrontations, we invited officers to submit some of
their favorite ploys for diverting dicey suspects
from thoughts of attacking.
Here’s a sampling of responses we received,
along with a trainer’s observations on the need
for more emphasis on communications skill
instruction:
Let’s see; there’s Grumpy, Dopey,
Tipsy... No, wait....
One of the tricks my team uses with volatile
drunks involves a little humor. We tell them
if they can name the 7 dwarfs before we get
them back to the station, we’ll let them go.
They’re usually occupied throughout the journey and are still trying to name all 7 while being booked in. Some of the regulars have even
gotten used to the challenge and start naming
the dwarfs as soon as we confront them.
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›\eki\gi\e\li`Xcjg`i`k
›ZXg`kXckf`em\jk
›k_\[i`m\kfjlZZ\\[
n\f]]\i1
›Ylj`e\jj[\m\cfgd\ekk\Xd
›lec`d`k\[`eZfd\gfk\ek`Xc
›ef]iXeZ_`j\]\\j
Fg\epflifneYlj`e\jjXjXe8ccjkXk\8^\ek%
ZfekXZk fli kXc\ek XZhl`j`k`fe k\Xd kf[Xp%
($/..$-',$0)/'
8ccjkXk\8^\ek%Zfd
8ccjkXk\X^\ekjXi\efk]iXeZ_`j\\j2iXk_\ik_\pXi\\oZclj`m\X^\ek`e[\g\e[\ekZfekiXZkfijXe[Xi\efk\dgcfp\[Yp8ccjkXk\%8ccjkXk\`jXe<hlXc
Fggfikle`kp:fdgXep%8ccjkXk\@ejliXeZ\:fdgXep#Efik_Yiffb#@C%@eE\nA\ij\p#8ccjkXk\E\nA\ij\p@ejliXeZ\:fdgXep#9i`[^\nXk\i#EA%
Ÿ)''.8ccjkXk\@ejliXeZ\:fdgXep
page 12
Keeping a bladed stance and my hands up, I
said, “Oh, you know my mom? She works the
downtown area. They call her Gummy Bear
‘cause she’s got no teeth.”
He looked at me with red, watery eyes and
burst out laughing. The rest of the process
went smoothly.
Insp. Gerry Kiernan
Hampshire Police
United Kingdom
“I saw his demeanor change to
a calm, how-can-I-help look”
An emotional action needs a calculated response, before a rational discussion can be
attempted.
I parked across the street at a location he was
walking toward. He was obviously nervous as
I leisurely exited my car. I said, “Sir, have you
seen a little 4-year-old boy? He’s missing and
we’re trying to find him.”
J\\`]k_\8ccjkXk\8^\ekfggfikle`kp`ji`^_k]fipfl%
As I was booking a drunk for domestic violence, he started to swear and insult me, his
voice becoming louder and louder. His hands,
on the counter, clenched into fists. He said
loudly, “Your mom musta been a real whore to
raise a bastard like you.”
I used a common judo principle, “pull when
pushed.” I had every right to throw him into
a separation cell, but by not responding, by
creating a ‘void’ where he aimed his rage, his
emotionality had nothing to fight against. And
since his ‘problem’ was a woman, my statement had an element of, not agreement, but
empathy.
I was working a high-crime housing project
area, looking for a known gang member who
had earlier fled from a vehicle stop involving a stolen auto. I located him as he walked
down a sidewalk, but I knew he would flee
if I bailed out of my patrol car and tried to
rush him.
N\Ëi\cffb`e^]fiX
]\n>ff[?Xe[jž%
Deflecting Rage by Creating
a Void Where It’s Aimed
He looked at me a bit puzzled. I began to describe this imaginary child as I walked toward
him, and I saw his demeanor change from a
nervous fleeing look to a calm, how-can-Ihelp look. He walked with me to my patrol car
while we discussed the “missing person.”
I then transitioned into discussing the stolen vehicle. He became very compliant and
cooperative and now wanted to help us find
the car thief. After I checked him for weapons,
he voluntarily went back to the stolen vehicle
with me to help with the investigation. He was
subsequently booked for auto theft and miscellaneous other charges without resistance.
Ofcr. Paul Willett
California Highway Patrol
Sniff, sniff
My partner and I would often pretend to smell
smoke in the house while on domestics and
other calls to private residences when the
subjects were not paying attention to us. We’d
both start walking around sniffing and asking loudly, “Do you smell smoke?” More often
than not, the occupants would stop what they
were doing and start sniffing. We could then
gain their attention and deal with the situation
calmly.
Brian Carter (ret.)
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Dpty. Paul McRedmond
Multnomah County (OR) S.O.
“An inexpensive, non-incendiary
distraction”
On vehicle stops, we all know that despite
direction to see their hands, occupants, if
they’re high and holding controlled substances, often keep stuffing the seats in hope
you won’t notice. We have to consider also
that they could be stashing or retrieving a
weapon.
The routine seems to be that the officer repeats the commands in a louder tone and then
louder again, maybe even drawing his pistol
to emphasize the message. The problem is
that the suspect is likely looking at where he/
she wants to hide the drugs or weapon and is
panicking to the point of auditory exclusion.
I’ve found that an open-handed slap as hard
as you can with your free hand onto the roof
of the car almost without fail causes everyone
inside to magically freeze. It seems to serve
as an inexpensive, non-incendiary distraction
that breaks the suspect’s attention fixation.
Det. Sgt. Chris Sheehan
Medicine Hat (Alberta) Police Service
Quick ice-breakers
Before joining law enforcement, I worked in
a mental institution. I quickly learned that
minor and innocent distractions when talking
to upset or mentally ill persons was a quick ice
breaker.
I used such simple things as “I really like that
pair of boots you have there” and “It sure is
hot here today. Let’s move over to the shade
and talk.” These worked really well in conveying that I was interested in the person I was
dealing with and his immediate well-being.
There were times when this approach did not
work, and I just
responded in
Continued on page 14
the Rap Sheet | October/November 2007
Marine Corps — Law Enforcement
Foundation: Certified as one of
America’s best charities
From www.mc-lef.org
The recent war in Iraq has
certainly illuminated America’s
commitment to freedom. We
are reminded that freedom is
not free. The price is great. No
one knows that better than the
left-behind sons and daughters
of America’s fallen heroes.
Through the continuous
support of our donors, we have
distributed aid with a value
of more than $29,000,000.00
to eligible children. This assistance was primarily rendered to
children of Marines or Federal
law enforcement personnel who
were killed on duty or died under extraordinary circumstances
while serving our country at
home or abroad. These funds
enable us to provide these children with scholarships for their
higher education. When a child
of a United States Marine is afflicted with a physical or mental
disability and requires special
medical equipment or tutoring,
our Foundation may grant financial assistance to that family
if their personal insurance does
not cover the complete cost of
treatment for this child.
In addition to the regular
program, our Foundation
decided to support all American
Forces and also Coalition Forces
in the invasion of Iraq and taking of Baghdad from 3 March
2003 to 16 July 2003.
In the past, the Foundation
also included in our program
the children who lost a parent from all agencies killed in
the murderous attack on the
Pentagon. We also decided to
go back and give our bonds to
children who lost a parent on
the USS Cole; the children of
the Air Force personnel killed at
Khobar Towers; and, with great
honor, the twelve children who
lost their parent on the space
shuttle Columbia disaster.
This assistance has had a
positive, life-changing effect on
many, many children. We are
thankful for the commitment
and support of our many members and volunteers. Because of
their dedication, no administrative costs of any type are charged
to our Foundation. One hundred
percent of the donations received
are used to fund programs for the
children we serve.
The Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation is certified
as one of America’s Best Charities by Independent Charities
of America. Our mission is to
encourage the spiritual, moral,
intellectual and physical development of children through
education. This Foundation was
formed in February of 1995 by
former Marines and law enforcement personnel who strongly
believe that our nation’s most
precious resources is its youth.
To learn more about the
Marine Corps-Law Enforcement
Foundation or to make a donation, visit www.mc-lef.org.
Continued from page 13
a quiet and respectful voice, addressing the
person as Sir or Miss.
Instruction in distraction techniques should
be included in every officer’s annual refresher
training.
Sgt. Phillip Schumpert
Federal Correctional Institution
Big Spring, TX
Just whistle
I am well-known for using a Fox 40 police
whistle to stop domestics. I blow it until they
stop yelling. Sometimes they get upset with
me, distracting anger from each other.
I also use the whistle to disperse large, unruly
crowds by walking into the crowd and blowing
till they disperse. This has worked wonders for
breaking up fights at large bar scenes. At one
such scene, a lieutenant was told by the other
LEOs, “Watch this.” Then I did my act and the
crowd of approximately 300 left in moments.
Ofcr. Steven Baum
Niagara Falls (NY) P.D.
The sorry state of police
communications training
Distraction techniques are sometimes called
“pattern interrupts,” and their effectiveness in
circumventing undesirable subject behavior is
well researched.
The irony is that many major police agencies
either provide officers with no communications
skills training or the time allocated is inadequate or the method of training proves to be
ineffective.
Law enforcement agencies and their trainers
are providing the best officer safety training and equipment ever offered in policing.
read us online at www.ppavigil.org
William Meyer,
AT TORNEY AT L AW
Proud to support
Members of the
Portland Police
Phone 503-222-9513
Association
334 NW 1st Avenue
Canby, Oregon 97013
Office: 503-266-3566
AUTO GROUP
503-668-5555
36936 HWY 26
Sandy, Oregon 97055
Tires & Accessories
503-668-5511
503-668-5515
www.suburbanautogroup.com
37000 HWY 26
Sandy, Oregon 97055
Extensive time is spent on weapon retention,
weapon disarming, ground fighting, multiple
assailant attacks, and a multitude of other
skills. All these are essential.
But-have agencies provided as much training
to equip their officers with the necessary skills
to stay out of confrontations as they have to
ensure that they win them? Surveys of agencies
and academies indicate that typically less than
5% of the available instructional time is spent
on communication training, despite the fact that
officers will need to display communication competence during 95% of their active duties.
Even a cursory risk-management review
of this situation should raise the alarm for
agency administrators, particularly in light of
the increasing civil litigation resulting from
behavior-based complaints.
Police communications must be designed
around the psychology of persuasion. Powerful verbal and non-verbal communication can
work to modify a subject’s behavior in such
subtle ways that they are not detectable by
the individual being influenced. However, officers who are not properly trained in these
strategies may unwittingly use words and
body language that undermine their attempt
to positively influence behavior.
Through a highly successful relationship with police departments
around the country, LoJack is the only provider of vehicle recovery
systems directly connected to state crime computers.
For participating dealerships go to
www.lojack.com
Strategic communications should be built upon
the cornerstone of officer safety training and
taught by use-of-force instructors. This maximizes the buy-in from front-line troops, since
they correctly perceive that the training focus
is on enhancing their safety and equipping
them to better conduct their job, rather than
as just a political initiative.
S/Sgt. Chris Butler
Chief Crowfoot Learning Center
Calgary (Alberta) Police Service
page 13
Retirees
Corner
Portland police officers; thank you for what you do every day.
Jim McIntyre
Attorney at Law
503-546-0696 phone • [email protected]
Oregon’s Largest Firearm Inventory
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by Lieutenant Bob Roberts
PPB Retired
We had one of our smaller crowds at the
Refectory for our “Over the Hill Gang” lunch on
August 22. We met about 11:15am, and were glad
to see Ed Savage, from the Sweet Home Police
back with us.
Our group included Glen Griffitts, Bud
Bladow, Bob Schippers, Bob Dorney, Bob
Warner, Bob Tobin, Ed Clark, Al Dean,
Randy Pulley, Norm Rosenbloom, and Gordy
Morgan. A couple of surprise visitors were Rob
Aichele and Paul Fontana.
Our Speaker was the new Director of
Willamette National Cemetery, George Allen.
He talked about what Willamette National had
to offer, and the hopes for obtaining another
National Cemetery in the area. His presentation
was interesting, but no one seemed anxious to
take him up on the offer of free burial for Vets.
He had a DVD presentation, but the equipment
to run it fell short.
The food was good, and plentiful, and was
enjoyed by all. Join us at the refectory every 4th
Wednesday of each month, except Nov. and Dec.
It is located just off of NE 122nd and Halsey,
about 11:30am.
We had a fair showing for breakfast at Denny’s,
since I spent quite some time on the phone
the night before. I arrived shortly after 7am
and found many already there such as Dallas
Taggart, Ray Gericke, Gary Fantz, Mel
Walker, and Denny Baker showed up again.
George Porter and Bruce Sherman arrived
from the beach early again.
We had a “new” face show up and the guys were
asking, “Who is that?” and, of course it was Bob
Coffman. Peter Bates gets there early, but has
to leave early to get to work. Ken Zapp came in to
join us, and is still taking tests and treatments.
It was good to see Scott Field again, after his
recent loss. We also had Don Seamster, Lee
Cromwell, Mace Flye, Randy Pulley, Glen
Griffitts and Bob Dorney. Another visitor was
Gordy Blume.
JANET LEE HOFFMAN
AT T O R N E Y
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LAW OFFICES OF JANET LEE HOFFMAN
1000 SW BROADWAY, SUITE 1500
PORTLAND, OREGON 97205
page 14
PHONE: (503) 222-1125
FAX: (503)222-7589
This early breakfast is always the 2nd Monday
of each month, Denny’s, 12101 SE 82nd. Some
get there before 7am, but if you like to sleep in,
then 7:30am is fine. Nothing formal, just chitchat and gossip, and maybe a few war stories.
The next “eating frenzy” I attend is breakfast
at the Pig ‘N Pancake, NE 122nd and Glisan. This
one is every Friday, about 9:15-9:30am. It’s a
small group, and on August 24, we had Al Dean,
Bob Cosby, Lee Cromwell, Walt Wier, Ed
Patterson, Mel Nilsen and Bud Bladow.
I missed September 7 since Linda and I were
doing a little R&R at the beach. I did get to the
one on September 14, and Frank Smith showed
up. We also had Dick Kuntz arrive, almost
too late, and another almost late one was Bob
Wiskoff, who hasn’t been seen much lately.
Mel Nilsen missed this one because he and
Sue were going to try their 5th-wheel trailer
again. He should be back for the next one.
On September 4, Linda and I booked a room
at Newport for a little “down time”. I did have
a 9:30am meeting in Newport on the 5th. I
had been invited to attend the meeting of the
Advisory Board for the Oregon Department of
Veterans Affairs, being held at the American
Legion Hall. It’s true that the meeting only lasted
about 21/2 hrs, plus lunch afterwards, but we
managed to stretch it to 3 days.
We were able to get together with Darwin and
for a real fine dinner at Georgies
Beachside Grill in Newport. We had a good visit
and talked over a few “war stories”.
We also called up Ken Lowry and Sharon,
who live in Newport, and got together with them
for a nice lunch at the Chowder Bowl in Nye
Beach. We had some delicious clam chowder.
Ken and Sharon are both looking good, but with
some health problems, and it was really nice to
see them. Sharon is still working part time, so
the visit was cut short so she could get back to
work. They said to tell everyone hello for them.
Then, to cap things off, Linda and I drove
down the coast to Waldport, and called Kenny
Sanford. He agreed to meet us for coffee. It had
a couple of years since we had seen him. He rode
his bicycle down to meet us at a little restaurant
at the south end of town. I knew that he and
Kathleen lived up on the hill and I commented
that he would have to pedal back up the hill. He
then explained that his bike was equipped with a
battery motor, which helped going up hills.
We discussed his creation, the “yellow
submarine”. If you visit the Marine Science
Center in South Beach, you will see it sitting in
front of the building. It is a 2-man sub that he
and a couple of other guys built several years ago.
He said they made over 50 dives in it, and then
donated it to the Marine Science center.
He has become friends with a Deputy in
Waldport who was involved in a shooting
awhile back, so they have a common ground for
discussion. He said he gave his old handcuffs to
the Deputy, for an extra set, and was glad to see
them being used again.
He has spent a lot of time fishing, off the coast,
and has crewed a few times in the fishing boats.
Kenny said to say hello to all of his old friends,
so drop in and see him when you are down that way.
While browsing through the paper recently
I saw an old familiar face. It was Ralph and
Ruth Howlett. They had celebrated their
60th Wedding Anniversary on August 31, at
Summerplace Assisted Living.
A little known fact, it mentioned that Ralph
played sax and clarinet in big bands, and for a
senior’s orchestra. Congratulations guys!
I received information from Tom Jacobs that
the Police Beneficiary Association will be holding
an election for the Board of Directors and Officers
in the month of December.
Any member in good standing may be
nominated by attending the Beneficiary meeting on
November 8 or by contacting the Secretary prior to
the meeting to have their name placed on the ballot.
I was invited down to Camp Withycombe on
September 12 to give a short talk to a group of about
30 members of the Honor Guard and Highland
Guard. There were several from other agencies,
and it was sort of a refresher academy. It was only
about a five-ten minute talk of who we are (Retirees
Association) and how much we and the families
depend on the Honor Guard for the funerals and
Memorials, and how much they are appreciated.
I got to talk to Dave Steele again, who is now
“one of us.” He rode his motorcycle there too.
I visited with Capt. Chris Uehara and Sgt. Dan
Liu who are now handling the services of the
Honor Guard and Highland Guard.
We visited Jeanette Christenson recently
in Sunnyside Hospital. She had suffered a nose
bleed that they couldn’t seem to get stopped. She
is back home now but is still quite weak, after
several days in the hospital. We wish you the best
Carol Bogus
Jeanette.
the Rap Sheet | October/November 2007
Doris Kuntz recently suffered a stroke and
was rushed to the hosp. She is back home now,
and will be getting therapy. She is getting around
fine, but will need time. Hang in there Doris.
We received late info that Mary Schippers
had some recent tests done, and the results came
back requiring possible treatment and more tests.
Wishing you the best Mary.
Mace Flye invited me to a meeting of the
Northeast Optimist’s Club, in the Lloyd Center,
on September 12, after I was done with Camp
Withycombe. Mace’s granddaughter did a
beautiful presentation about a two-week bootcamp setting for young people, some who are
interested in a career in law enforcement. His
granddaughter is a councilor for the school in
California. She had a slide presentation which
accompanied her talk.Mardi Epps was one of the
members present, and another familiar face to
me was Bill Marker, a retired school teacher from
Parkrose. Bill is also a member of my Merchant
Marine Vet’s group.
We talked to Kathy Hiatt recently, and she
had spent some time in the hospital with some
health problems. She is home now, recovering
and trying to get her strength back.
We would like to offer our condolences to
Larry Neville and his family on the recent
sudden loss of his son, Ryaan, believed due to a
heart condition.
We also want to offer our heartfelt sympathy
to Clell Winters and his family, on the recent
sudden death of his son, Brian, due to a massive
heart attack. Brian was 42.
We know our children are supposed to outlive us.
Taps
Sarah Kirstine Cook, widow of Alfred “Al”
Cook Sr. She was born October 27, 1913 in
Smiley, Saskatchewan, died August 21, 2007 at
age 93.
She received her nursing degree in 1937 and
worked at Doernbecher. She married Al in 1939.
He preceded her in death. She continued her
association and volunteering at Doernbecher
until 2002.
Mauris “Maurie” Greenstein, born
September 7, 1926, died September 11, 2007
at age 81. We have limited information since he
was an associate member, having left the Bureau
many years ago.
He was a member of the VFW and a member of
the Al Kader Shriners.
Aaron K. Dunn, born December 22, 1913, in
Stevenson, WA, died September 6, 2007, at age
93. He joined the Police Bureau February 6, 1942,
retiring as a Sgt. February 7, 1969. He was an
active board member in our Retiree’s Association
for many years.
He graduated from Camas, WA high school,
and served in the Navy in the Philippines in
WWII.
He married Anona in 1977. He is survived by
his wife; stepson, Warren McLaughlin; sisters, Ida
Hamilton and Leona Schiewe; four grandchildren
and five great-grandchildren.
We offer our deepest sympathy to the families
of these.
by Detective Peter Simpson
Book ‘Em:
Tactical Operations Division
Out of the Blue
by Ronald R. Still
Ron Still served the citizens of
Portland from November 1954
to January 1985, during which
time he rose through the ranks
from police officer to chief.
In his first book, Outt
of the Blue: From
Rookie to Chief, Still
chronicles his careerr
in the Portland Police
e
Bureau and tells
more than a few sto-ries about daily life
as a police officer
from the 1950’s to
the 1980’s.
Throughout the
book, Still recounts
some of the more
memorable cases,
conversations
and events in his career
reer that
shaped him as a police officer
and prepared him to take over
as Chief of Police during a
difficult time in police bureau
history.
With stories titled, “Mr. “Steele”
shot a white man”, “Three sons
named Willie” and “On no, I hit
the Sheriff’s car”, you get a fla-
vor for the humor that is found
throughout the book.
Several of the stories paint a
picture of Portland city politics in the 1970’s and ‘80’s,
including some interesting
in tales
about
the
a
legendary
le
city
cit commissioner Mildred
sio
Schwab.
Sc
One of the
On
more interestmo
ing stories in
the book is the
process that ulproc
timately landed
tima
outsider Bruce
outsi
Baker the job as
Bake
police chief, prior
Still.
to Sti
Out of the Blue: From Rookie
to Chief is a worthy read for
anyone interested in the colorful history of the city and the
bureau. Copies are available
for purchase at the Portland
Police Museum or by contacting
Solana Publishing at [email protected]
Growing Your Personal Wealth.
Mention this ad, and get a FREE appraisal!
read us online at www.ppavigil.org
page 15
The blue
front line in the
War on Terror
by George L. Kelling, R.P. Eddy,
William J. Bratton
For cops, crime fighting and counterterrorism
go hand in hand
Lately, a growing chorus has charged that terrorist
threats are overblown and make local police waste
limited resources chasing nonexistent bogeymen —
even as traditional crime ticks upward in many
American cities.
This line of thinking is
misguided for two reasons.
First, as the recently foiled
plot to attack U.S. targets
in Germany shows, the terrorist threat remains very
real. Second, the choice
between counterterrorism and traditional crime
fighting is a false one. In
fact, good police work is
good counterterrorism. For
example, in 2005, in Torrance, California, police arrested two men for robbing
a gas station—and wound
up uncovering a militant
Islamic plot to attack Los
Angeles–area synagogues
and military installations.
Good information is perhaps the strongest weapon
we have to combat both
terrorism and common
crime. The failure of the
intelligence and law enforcement communities
to “connect the dots,” as
the 9/11 Commission put
it, helped prevent us from
disrupting al-Qaida’s 2001
attacks. By contrast, police
forces’ success in reducing crime during the 1990s
was due to their ability to
connect the dots through
Compstat (a police planning and accountability
mechanism) and other
kinds of crime analysis.
But for dots to be connected, whether they have
to do with crime or with
terrorism, information
must be available to those
who can best use it—and
that frequently means local law enforcement. The
good news is that since
9/11, law enforcement
agencies have been working together better than
ever before. Driving this
change, at least in part,
is Washington’s gradual
realization that the nation’s 800,000 state and
local police are our country’s “first preventers”—
who stop terrorist acts
before they occur—rather
than just “first responders,” who react after an
attack has taken place.
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page 16
State and local police have
foiled a growing number of
homegrown terror plots,
including the Torrance
case, though they have not
garnered much national attention.
Information sharing between the federal government and state and local
police has also improved.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism
Task Forces, which integrate local, state, and federal agencies, have tripled
in number, from 34 before
9/11 to more than 100
today. The LAPD and other
large police departments
across the country maintain active communication
and cooperation with the
Department of Homeland
Security and the FBI.
The creation of state and
regional “fusion centers,”
which pool and analyze
information from multiple
jurisdictions, represents
another advance. These
centers, now established in
nearly every state, should
be crucial in the years
ahead in improving our
capabilities for intelligence
gathering and sharing.
The sobering news, however, is that we still have a
long way to go in achieving
a true homeland security
partnership, one that processes and shares information in a meaningful,
timely manner. Compstat,
as practiced in cities like
New York and Los Angeles, provides a model for
such sharing. Yet despite
the effective partnership
between locals and feds,
the relationship is inherently asymmetrical. A
local police chief’s access
to meaningful and timely
information often depends
significantly on his relationship with the FBI’s
Special Agent in Charge
or with the U.S. Attorney.
In some cities, local chiefs
find themselves relying
on CNN as their primary
source of information.
Further, a recent congressional report noted several
issues preventing fusion
centers from reaching their
full potential. The report
questioned how much intelligence “fusing” actually
goes on at the centers:
even though different law
enforcement agencies may
have representatives physically present, the report
concluded, “collocation
alone does not constitute
fusion.” Also, our government needs to vet and
streamline the myriad databases that it now keeps
on terror suspects and
criminals. And most important is developing uniform
training procedures and
standards on how intelligence is gathered, stored,
and accessed in order to
safeguard citizens’ privacy
and civil rights. To give
credit where it is due, the
Department of Homeland
Security is aware of many
of these problems and has
recently taken steps to address them. But the early
experiences of local police
with fusion centers are
worrisome: many have yet
to see anything of value
to help them fight either
crime or terrorism.
Consequently, instead of
relying solely on the federal government for intelligence, many state and
local police departments
have started to create their
own systems—assembling
their own databases and
setting up their own DNA
labs, for example. Some,
like New York City, are doing it on their own; others,
like Los Angeles, lacking
New York’s resources, are
doing it in collaboration
with other police departments in the region.
But critics who see all this
as distracting local police
from their basic functions
may be imperiling our
safety. We lost the 1960s’
“war on crime” partly because we misunderstood
the role of local police; we
lost the “war on drugs”
because we misjudged the
capacity of local police. We
do not want to lose the
war on terror for similar
reasons.
William J. Bratton is the chief
of the Los Angeles Police Department. George L. Kelling
is a professor in the School of
Criminal Justice, Rutgers-Newark
University, and a senior fellow
at the Manhattan Institute. R. P.
Eddy is executive director of the
Manhattan Institute’s Center for
Policing Terrorism, which recently
released a new report on fusion
centers.
Orginally appeared in the Autumn
2007 edition of City Journal
magazine, Volume 14, Number 4.
the Rap Sheet | October/November 2007