July 2005 issue - Portland Police Association
Transcription
July 2005 issue - Portland Police Association
The “Maintaining the Vigil” RAP SHEET VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 7 • JULY 2005 • PORTLAND POLICE ASSOCIATION • PORTLAND, OREGON Diary of the Citizens Academy: Part II November 11, 2004 Thank you for one major stimulating Thomas A Swift Electric Rifle night. Liz Fanning and I IN THIS ISSUE 5 Compton “Cowboys”—Race PAID I should never carry a gun and tonight we all found out why. Actually, I don’t even carry a knife on me for the same reason. Officers Livingston and Engstrom took the class though action-reaction scenarios and lethal force decision-making that occur on shifts everyday. I came in 15 minutes late to class at Camp Withycombe tonight having just made record time from my clinic downtown. I did for once remember to turn off my headlights and not blind the guard at the gate on the way in. Right after coming inside and feeling stressed out from the day and being late I sat down and reflexively raised my hand to volunteer for the first scenario without having any idea of what was happening. As I walked up to the front of the class, my heart was still racing from the drive. I thought why the hell did I put my hand up, I never volunteer for stuff like this, I don’t even know what I’m doing right now. Officer Livingston had me stand in the doorway with my back to the classroom and handed me a 9mm loaded with blanks. He really built up the moment; he said I was a Portland Police Officer responding to a warehouse alarm for the fourth night in a row. The first three nights were false alarms and I had cleared signed up a few weeks earlier to be Tasered tonight. I thought it would be good to know exactly what it would feel like. I have been curious about its clarifying abilities since Captain Crebs mentioned it in the first class. Officer Tom Forsyth showed a video of a guy on a 48plus-hour meth-binge in a holding cell going crazy. Within seconds the man went from agitated and fightready to on the floor apologizing and saying thank you after being Tasered and handcuffed safely. I was starting to get had a good idea what Liz and I were in for tonight as Officer Forsyth gave us a little more details on the Taser; pulsed charge as .004 amps, 50 volts and 26 watts. I have had the normal shocks from spark plugs and wall sockets, but the numbers made sense from physics and physiotherapy training in school. This was going to be therapeutic electric stimulation gone way bad. During the break I eliminated everything possible, a few officers told me some outcomes so to speak while being Tasered, I thought I’d be proactive just in case. Liz and I laid on the floor in a two-person “daisy-chain” hooked up on my right hip and her left hip and our arms interlocked. I felt like I was getting ready for take off in a plane or hitting something in a car wreck. Ready? Sure, (continued on page 4...) Portland, Oregon Permit 5314 November 4, 2004 Immediately Officer Livingston yelled out “Whoa, okay, stop” and then asked “Why did you do that?” I quickly replied, “I lost sight of his gun, he speaks good English we were talking, I felt he was going to shoot me and he wasn’t following my instructions.” It made me nervous when neither officer offered any judgment for my actions. I looked at the class and many of them had a shocked look on their face. In my defense told them I was not going to be running for Governor of California. But maybe it was wrong to shoot three rounds into a man’s back without hesitation? Then Officer Engstrom said, “We’ve used this scenario for five years and no one has ever shot me before.” It was amazingly gratifying to know that my instincts were correct but my feelings were mixed. I felt the most compassion I ever had for officers involved in justified shootings. I felt like I was in their head; a busy day, rushing to get somewhere, put in a situation with minimal information and having to respond with a trained, protective instinct. Mine was just a scenario. I got lucky. As I said, no real guns for me. PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE Sign me up for a protest march! Not that I’ve ever been to a protest march but after listening to Sergeant Vince Elmore present valuable information for the protesters and non-protesters alike in our class tonight about the duties of the RRT I wanted to go to one just to experience the trained care I knew would be present. His take-charge attitude was infectious. “You do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do” and “We move as a team, no one takes action alone,” were his inspiring mantras to fellow police officers on his team. I couldn’t imagine not following his orders in a confrontation if I was a protester. I had never seen anyone so dedicated to help a protest march go well, which was enlightening for me because I always assumed the police hated marches and protesters. We looked at some slides of “hijackers” within the marching crowds; few students were able to identify them until Sergeant Elmore pointed them out directly on the screen. He told us about common actions these types take to generate violence and volatility during protests but some of my fellow students were still in disbelief. O ne cont i nua l ly cr it ica l classmate, who was even a protest organizer herself, nodded her head in agreement. I was amazed to hear her say “These people don’t help the purpose of the march and the actual protesters appreciate police stepping in to keep the peace.” I haven’t got much of a poker face and probably anyone could see by my expression the shock I felt to hear this adversary be supportive for once. That’s the effect the dynamic Officer Elmore had on us. At the beginning of class we also met Lt. George Babnick from IAD and Mr. Richard Rosenthal from IPR. When I introduced myself to Lt. Babnick and told him that an officer that I had treated earlier in the day said I would really enjoy his presentation tonight without the warehouse with the building security guard after he showed up, which took a while. I was told I had only 20 minutes left on my shift and in the morning I would be going on a 2 week motorcycle trip. So my scenario was that I went into the building without waiting for the security guard to just get in, get it done and go home. He said “You go inside and see this.” “This” turned out to be a guy (Officer Engstrom) with his back to me sneaking into the building with a pistol in his outreached right hand. I pointed my gun at him and said: “Portland Police put the gun down.” He quickly replied in cheerful voice: “Oh glad you’re here I’m the owner.” I said, “Beautiful, put the gun down and let’s find out why the alarm is going off.” He said, “Yeah, okay, I’m the owner, it’s my building.” I said, “Great. Put the gun down now.” His last living words were “Okay, Okay I’ll put it down” spoken in an upbeat cooperative manner. He leaned forward and started to place the gun on the floor in front of him but he moved it out of my sight in front of his right calf. The moment I lost sight of his gun, without saying a word I fired three shots into his back aiming for his heart from 7 feet without seeing the gun again. politics instead of cops 6 Cadets assist at plane crash site 7 Good Cop-Bad Cop: What real life cops think of Hollywood portrayals PLUS Lessons Learned....................................................................... 3 Retirees .................................................................................... 5 Let’s Talk................................................................................ 10 Secretary-Trearurer’s Report.................................................. 11 Movers and Shakers ............................................................... 12 Published by Rap Sheet, Inc. 1313 NW 19th Ave. Portland, OR 97209 October 28, 2004 missing a beat in a serious tone he said “Oh, yeah she mentioned you’d be here, I talked to her this afternoon, she called from the hospital, her legs are paralyzed from your adjustments, but she was not upset or anything.” As I told him that she had warned me about his dry humor he began to laugh. From their presentation the entire class was able to see the great level of responsibility placed on police officers and the process of investigation should something unethical occur. The police are human but sometimes things go wrong that training and character cannot control. Tonight even the critical classmates seemed satisfied in the capabilities of the Portland police to police themselves. The Rap Sheet By Dr. Bryan Baisinger Clearwater Chiropractic Clinic Editor’s Statement • By Detective Peter Simpson The RAP SHEET Portland Police Association President: Detective Robert King Secretary-Treasurer: Officer Leo Painton Rap Sheet Office: 503-225-9755 Editor Detective Peter Simpson — 360-518-3429 Advertising Director Kerri Simpson — 360-954-5186 Subscriptions Laurie Keller — 503-225-9755 Layout and Graphics Jackson Communication — 503-653-5191 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. To submit copy, e-mail to the editor at editor@portlandpolice association.com by the first Friday of each month. Office is at 1313 NW 19th, Portland, OR 97209. Phone 503-225-9760. Articles appearing under an author’s byline do not necessarily represent the opinion of the PPA. Advertising and editorial submissions are due the first Friday of every month prior to publication. Send e-mail to: [email protected] Web page: www.portlandpoliceassociation.com Advertising fax: (503) 225-9756 • Editorial fax: (503) 225-1158 PPA Officers’ Phone List Robert King President 503-323-6015 Leo Painton Secy.-Treasurer 503-423-5658 Scott Westerman VP-Central Precinct 503-237-0568 Kevin Warren VP-Dets./Criminalist 503-795-2422 Jim Gaither VP-SE Precinct 503-237-3534 Craig Morgan VP-East Precinct 503-237-3474 Bob Foesch VP-NE Precinct 503-940-0098 Doug Justus VP-North Precinct 503-323-5053 Bryan Parman VP-Sergeants 503-823-0348 Tom Perkins VP-Services 503-920-5430 Peter Simpson VP-Services 503-237-1650 Mark Chamberlain VP-Traffic Division 503-323-9363 Daryl Turner VP-At Large 503-940-0059 Tony Christensen Safety Committee 503-250-7887 Gary Manougian Safety Committee 503-250-5169 The Portland Police Association is affiliated with: OCPA Oregon Council of Police Associations PAGE 2 • RAP SHEET • Youth Crime Prevention July is Youth Crime P revent ion Mont h , a nd there are several opportunities within the Police Bureau and the community to get involved in preventing young people from becoming involved in criminal behavior. The Police Activities League of Greater Portland is probably the most familiar to you as an organization that gets police officers directly involved in the lives of youth. Opportunities exist for mentoring, coaching, field trip chaperones and a host of other activities designed to get cops and kids interacting together. I’ve been fortunate in my career to coach at the annual PAL Summer Sports Camp and have always had a great time. It’s a chance to be part gym teacher, part coach, part referee, part cop, and part kid. Try holding a gym full of 8-yearold girls captive as you explain the pick-and-roll and you’ll find that they are more interested in playing H-O-R-S-E or dodge ball. But youth crime prevention isn’t just limited to coaching at PAL camp or teaching GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training); every contact you make with a youngster is a chance to prevent him or her from becoming involved in crime. Brian Ossenkop (my old GET partner) and I used to stop and shoot the bull with young guys all the time. Part of it was the mission of our unit: Get to know the young, potential gang-bangers; but mostly it was a chance for us to talk to the fellas about where they were going in life and what they thought about the world around them. I remember on more than one occasion, we’d get out with a group of guys playing basketball in the street and we’d join in for a few minutes. Brian could usually drain a few from way outside and I…well…let’s just say that shooting the rock was never my strongest skill. It usually put smiles on their faces and I’d like to believe that somewhere in their minds they remember the two blue suits that jumped out of their cruiser and played ball with them for only a few minutes. It’s an important part of this job to take a few minutes now and then to think about what you are do- JULY 2005 ing that might prevent some youngster from becoming a criminal. It could be that removing dad from the house because he’s a doper, thief, and wife-abuser is going to prevent his kid from following in his footsteps. Or, that five minute chat outside the middle school during the lunch hour that deters some youngster from joining a gang. It’s also important to realize that many of the kids we come in contact with are not from homes like ours. I can say with absolute certainty that my two-year-old acts more respectful and mature than many of the youngsters I come across, but he also lives in a house with rules and consequences for his behavior. Many of the youngsters we deal with have never had that, which is a major reason why they become involved in crime: Nobody has ever held them responsible for their actions and nobody has really listened to what they have to say about themselves, their lives and how they see the world. I know, you’re thinking I’ve gone all soft and mushy with this stuff, but trying to understand how they frame things in their life helps me as an investigator understand how to approach them during interviews and talk to them about the choices they have made or might make. As I tell the students at Portland State University during Juvenile Justice classes, “If you can prevent one child from becoming involved in the criminal justice system, you have done more than most people that are trying to change the world.” ’69 Plymouth reunited with second owner Some of you got to see the beautifully restored 1969 Plymouth Belvedere Portland Police car at last year’s PPA picnic. Retired Officer David Houck did a masterful job of restoring the car to its 1969 condition and has entered it in car shows across the nation, winning several • trophies and ribbons. The short backstory to the car is that a fella by the name of T.J., whom was known to almost all the uniform cops in the 1970s, bought the car from the Bureau in 1970 after it had been wrecked. T.J. repaired it and used it as his security car for years as he patrolled several businesses along MLK (then NE Union Avenue) and Sandy Boulevard as a Portland Special Police Officer. In the mid-1990s, my dad and I bought the car and planned on restoring it as a Portland Police car, but with no time, no place to do the work and little combined skill in the area of bodywork, we sold the car to Dave two years ago and he immediately brought the car back to life. In early June, my dad and Dave took T.J. to lunch at The Overlook on Interstate and showed him the now-restored car, which he hadn’t seen since he sold it. T.J. enjoyed taking a ride in the car and shared a few stories over lunch about the old days “on the Avenue.” Dave has offered to make the car available to people in the Bureau if they have an event that they’d want to bring the police car to. Just give him a call or send him an email and he’ll get back to you. 19 6 8 G e n e r a l O r d e r book Brian Ossenkop loaned me his dad’s General Order book from 1968 and I found this entry that I thought would be a good speech to give before a major event where problems are expected: “2.116 Cooperation Required. Coolness and firmness are required of every officer in time of extreme peril. They must act together and protect each other in the restoration of order. Whoever shirks from danger or responsibility will be deemed to be guilty of cowardice and subject to immediate disciplinary action.” Read us online at 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 Officer Ed Riddell Officer Rob Hawkins Sergeant Dave Grady Captain Marty Rowley SE Tri-Met LOS ID pgr.920-6781 pgr.920-1728 pgr.790-7929 pgr.301-5033 wk. 793-5301 wk.962-7566 wk.823-0721 Lessons Learned • Capt. Jim Harvey, Retired Stoking the fires of anger and discontent It’s 3:50 in the morning on February 6, 2005. Two LAPD officers witness a maroon 1990 Toyota Camry run a red light at Gage Avenue and the 110 Freeway. The officers follow the car onto the freeway and believe that it is being driven by someone who had been drinking; the car accelerates, then decelerates, and weaves from one lane into another. There are two occupants in the car. The officers turn on the emergency lights and siren. The car does not stop. They turn off the siren and use the public address system in an attempt to order the driver to stop. They advise radio dispatchers that they are in pursuit and learn that the car is stolen. The car accelerates and leaves the freeway. At 3:53 a.m., at Western Avenue and 83rd Street, the driver attempts to turn a corner, but jumps the curb and strikes a wall. The patrol car stops behind the Camry, slightly offset. The passenger jumps out of the car and runs East on 83rd. One of the officers gets out of the patrol unit just as the stolen car’s driver backs up and rams the police car. Sensing his danger, the officer fires 10 shots from his service weapon, killing the driver. The passenger is captured a short distance away. The bad news is that the driver is black. The worse news: the driver is a 13-year-old male. It takes a few hours to get all of the facts sorted out in the early part of the morning. It takes a few more hours for the news media to get into high gear. I watch as TV reporters descended on Audubon Middle School as it is just letting out that afternoon. They get a surprise as they interview three African American mothers who were picking up their children at school. All three say essentially the same thing; one says it most succinctly: “Why was this child out at 4:00 in the morning? Why was he driving a stolen car? And where were his parents?” When the media attempted to interview the family, they were told that they were grieving privately and would not have anything to say. Some time later it was learned that the boy’s father had died in the past year and the mother took on two jobs to support the family. After that, her son began to associate with gang members. The LAPD launched an extensive investigation of the incident, and Police Chief William Bratton presented detailed scale drawings of the shooting scene on television, enhanced by the latest in precision technology. It was an impressive collection of facts analyzing what took place in just three minutes from the time the officers saw a car run a red light until the shooting. But the self anointed spokespersons for the community emerged with their usual ranting demands and accusations, finding favor with the press. There is now a new policy in Los Angeles concerning shooting at moving cars. The unfortunate death of Kevin Brown in Los Angeles was brought back to mind by an article (6/2/05) in The Oregonian under Maxine Bernstein’s byline. More about Portland’s Kendra James shooting. It seems that The Oregonian has been pushing for almost two years to gain access to the Portland Police Bureau’s internal staff memos dealing with the James incident and a voting log the assistant chiefs sent to former Police Chief Mark Kroeker. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled in The Oregonian’s favor, Bernstein reported. One can only surmise that upon gaining this information, the newspaper would reopen the wounds of racial discontent by again reporting “yesteryear’s news.” To what purpose? Lessons Learned: 1. If there is nothing critical about police to report these days, one can always manufacture “news” by digging up the past. 2. There were responsible voices in the community who asked such questions as, “What was Kendra James doing out at that hour of night? Why wasn’t she home with her children? Why was she using cocaine?” They should be heard from once again. 3. In today’s jargon, The Oregonian needs “greater transparency.” Who is the journalist who wants to keep the fires of discontent burning? Will Ms. Bernstein put a name to this zealot? That might be a real news story! Michael Colbach Personal Injury Attorney 503-243-1900 Write for The Rap Sheet! 1916 SW Madison, Portland, OR 97205 oregonaccidentattorney.com [email protected] E-mail your submissions to [email protected]. www.portlandpoliceassociation.com • JULY 2005 • RAP SHEET • PAGE 3 ...Citizens’ Academy (...continued from page 1) Zap-zap-zap-zap-zap-zap. When it stopped, my silent scream also stopped and I laughed and slapped the floor instinctively with a judo slap, I kept laughing as I felt like I had just been thrown. Liz wasn’t as cheerful. I stood up and noticed my right hip felt much freer. It was real tight from lots of kicking exercises. I was amazed at how well I could think while being Tasered, I knew if I could let go of Liz’s hand it would stop but I was completely unable to do it. This is a great tool, more people should feel it. November 18, 2004 Only two more classes, I’m thinking about what is next and starting to anticipate the loss I’ll feel when the classes are over. Tonight we first had a look into the world of Drugs and Vice with Officers Baldwin and Law, then Detective Division with Commander Bechard. I have been aware of the illegal entrepreneurial spirit that Portland has had being a port city. You can see it from Old Town to 82nd street to Northeast Portland. The information presented was complicated, the presenters showed a no-win phenomenon of three of the world’s oldest habits: sex, gambling and booze/drugs. Their jobs seemed thankless in the public eye, some parts of what they control are legal and some parts not. It’s okay to drink but not too much if you are in public. Gambling is very controlled and then there are places with illegal gambling. The police can’t stop the all the illegal activities and yet have to try as hard as possible to keep things under control or else they would be widespread social chaos. The current political-legal structure complications became apparent as Officer Baldwin spoke about ballot measure 3 and its crippling effects on funding. I usually think of drugs from a pharmacological perspective, not the legal and jail time perspective. Many of the drugs seem scary because they are potent and cheap. It was very informative to see what the abuses and control measures are in place right now to keep the streets as safe as possible. From the detailed layout of the Detective Division by Commander Bechard, we could see the struggle happening to keep up with the volume of crime in the city and the importance of speed to get an arrest in many cases. Hollywood makes this area of police work look unreasonably easy and I think people PAGE 4 • often hold the police to the same standard out of ignorance. November 23, 2004 Officers Gallagher and Westerman spoke about the duties and operation for the NRT. I confess, my mind was on those awesome ATVs they use to get around more quickly. When I learned that the Eastside does not have ATVs I knew I’d need to be in the Central Precinct if I was part of the Neighborhood Response Team. Tonight we also learned about check forgers. Most of my experiences at the Citizen Academy seemed far from Hollywood’s notion of what it is like to be a cop but watching this process for the first time I felt like I was on an episode of “Law and Order.” A group of us got to watch Officer Mann match a scanned check against the finger print database. It was a check for just under $1000 cashed at a bank the day before. I learned that this number is important because forgers always cash checks under $1000.00 since if the forged amount is at or above this it constitutes a federal offence. Even crooks don’t want to leave their home state. He showed us how to look for “identifiable” marks. This whole process was very exciting for me because I love things only a trained eye can see. For example, one time in Chiropractic College I was the only one to diagnose a serious cancer condition by X-ray on a final exit exam. Even tonight when the officer handed us a sheet of mixed up fingerprints I was able to match them 100 percent correctly. Within 10 minutes we saw 5 print matches: 4 being under 1000 and one being over 7000. When the high number popped up Officer Mann said: Bingo, this is it. Someone asked: are you sure? He said: This high? Most likely. It became clear to me that the Drugs and Vice Unit is both art and science. The officers in the Detective Division are very intuitive, sensitive people who have to rely on the fact that humans are going to act like human at all levels. Anyone can digress to a really stupid state if the chips are down. I respected the way the officers were trying to help people that couldn’t help themselves and possibly be of harm to themselves and others. Many people would benefit from this class; each night at some point I thought it should be part of the curriculum of public education like PE used to be in high school. Our final night of the Citizens RAP SHEET • Academy, I don’t think we’ll have a reunion but I am curious what my classmates will do after the Citizens Academy and how their lives will have changed from such a close look into the world of the Portland Police. For me, I’m back to my human body repair shop fixing up anyone that asks for help. Officer Mike Stradley is a long time friend and the one who recommended the class to me, but I have really learned how police are helpers too in a sometime volatile and life threatening environment. I am coming away with a much clearer understanding and appreciation for the integrity of the people serving and protecting Portland. Thank you. Dr. B a isi nger ca n be contacted via email at [email protected]. National Night Out invitation By Juanita Downing Yes, I know, National Night Out is not until August, but this year it’s August 2, so if I want to invite any and all officers who might like to attend, I need to get the invitation out now! Last year’s event, “Honoring Our Heroes in Blue”, was a tremendous success with a dozen officers from North Precinct, almost 100 community members from St. Johns, and Chief Foxworth stopped by for a half an hour. This year’s party, “Meet and Eat with Portland’s Finest”, has the potential of being even bigger and better as the Chief has confirmed he will visit again, and the Mayor has been invited as well. Please bear in mind, though, this party is nothing without you. It is dedicated to you and is to provide an opportunity for you to relax, have some food, and enjoy visiting with the community you serve. It will also be a chance for the kids in the neighborhood to see what officers are like for real and hopefully do away with the fear that some of them may have. Please join us on Tuesday, August 2. The party starts at about 6:30 p.m. and will continue until dark (around 9 p.m.). For location information, please email me at [email protected]. God bless you all and be safe. 2005 Rose Festival Parade JULY 2005 • Read us online at Retirees Corner • By Bob Roberts We held our monthly “Over the Hill Gang” lunch on April 2 7, a t T h e Refectory. I called Randy Tucker, but he wa s not feeling up to snuff, so, he declined the invitation. An old, semi-familiar face arrived in the form of Morrie Greenstein, down from the Salem area. I was early enough to sit at the source of the Tootsie Rolls, and with most of the “Bobs”: Svilar, Thompson, Warner, and Cosby. Some of the other “Bobs” were Tobin, and Benson. Frank Springer and Barney Shields arrived early. Glen Griffitts, Len Stanley and Randy Pulley were there, and Debbie Ellis and Linda Johnson arrived. The Reiters, Norm and Eric, arrived soon after. Another surprise was the arrival of Robert King, PPA President. He spoke briefly on the fallacy of the City pulling out of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the officers transferred to another detail. The retired FBI agent present enjoyed his statement. Most of the crowd agreed too. Roland Benson and Chuck Bryant were enjoying the food, as were Morrie Pederson, Charles Hill and John Kirkland. To round out the crew, we had Gordy Morgan, Harry Boggs, Ed Clark, Matt Bisinius and Norm Rosenbloom. Our speaker gave an excellent presentation. Gary Granger is the Chief of Security for OHSU, up on “Pill Hill”. He showed slides and explained what they do and what they run into. Considering whom some of the clientele are, it is quite a challenge, given the fact that they are not armed. In essence, it is like a small city police department. The Friday “Lydia’s Lunch Bunch” has been sporadic in numbers, with about 11 present on April 22, and 7 present on April 29. Norm Rosenbloom surprised us and showed up. Bob Svilar and Dean Littell are quite consistent. Ed Patterson and Erv Osbourn made it on the 22nd, but Ed missed the next one, due to a doctor’s appointment. Mel Nilsen got to all except on May 20. By the way, Mel is the Regional Treasurer for the IPA. (International Police Association). Hal Gowing has been noticeably absent lately, but did arrive on May 20. Many of our fishermen have been missing also. Norm Reiter came on April 29 and again on May 20. I understand the clam digging crew, including Ray Buhrmaster, got cheated out of their full digging time, because the season ended, almost before it began. I think the clams had a virus, and were contaminated. Anyway, the main fishing in the Columbia, I believe is over, and the fishermen will be back to join us. In fact, Walt Wier and Lee Cromwell were back on May 20, and Frank Smith is back in the fold. We had a full crew with 14 present in May 20, with Al Dean, Bob Cosby, Bob Schippers, Bob McPhail, Bob Svilar, Dean Littell, Ed Patterson and Erv Osbourn. We had a surprise on May 20 and celebrated Bob Svilar’s 80th Birthday (May 18). We had a delicious cake, but no one wanted to sing “Happy Birthday”. Somebody was too full to eat their cake, so, guess what? I volunteered. So, join us every Friday, 10: 15am at Lydia’s. I was unable to attend the breakfast at Denny’s on May 9, due to a previous commitment in Las Vegas. My fill-in was Howard Soumie. He said the weather was terrible so the attendance was down. He said there was a “TootsieRoll-fit” due to the absence of Bob Svilar. Ken Zapp, Joe Murillo, (I thought he was supposed to be in Las Vegas), Scott Field, Ray Gericke and Ron Fox showed again. The coast duo of Bruce Sherman and George Porter were back. A couple of rare attendee’s were Ken Armstrong and Jim Cunningham. Randy Pulley and Bob Dorney showed up. Don Montgomery, Peter Bates and Ralph O’Hara rounded out the group. We missed the Redmond lunch for the Central Oregon retirees on May 10 also, due to a previous commitment in Reno. This one however was covered by Lucine Dimoff and Ray Buhrmaster. They had 19 present, and were, again, at the Juniper Golf Club. This included Jan Foster, Dave Houck, Wes and Jessie Durkee, Art and Sheryl Burger, Dan Lambert and “Boomer” (?), Mike Linhares, Ken and Millie Blodget, Dave and Evelyn Holmes, Diana Raske and her husband Al Lovgren, Wayne Inman and guest, John Calbraith, a Washington County retiree. Wayne and Carla are looking for a replacement to arrange these luncheons, since they have been doing it for the last year. The next luncheon will be held August 9 at the same place, but a new place will have to be picked as this one will be www.portlandpoliceassociation.com • torn down, and a new one built. They said that Wayne told an interesting story while working with the Deschutes County Rescue Team. They got a call that a man was buried in snow, in his car for 15 days, with his car almost completely covered. He was apparently trying to commit suicide by freezing, but changed his mind. He did survive. I talked to Mark Fortner, just recently retired, but only semiretired. Mark will be teaching at Monmouth, I believe firearms. Good luck Mark. We received email from John Nagy recently, and some great pictures taken on his most recent trip to Thailand. He and a friend hired a van and a driver, and drove over 3000 km’s around the area. They made a small excursion across the Mekong to visit a small village in Laos. He said they found the most exquisite resort lodge, just outside of Loie, in the mountains. He is even looking at property around Loie and Chiangmai. The pictures that he sent are really good, and have him back on an elephant again. He’s getting lots of experience riding elephants. It’s that time of year again. Our annual picnic will be held Sunday June 26, 2005 at noon. Same place as last several years, North Clackamas park, 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Drive. This is just off Highway 224, at SE Rusk Road. It is a potluck, so bring eating utensils and plates and a healthy appetite. We have reserved the covered area again and there will be drawings for prizes. Coffee, punch and lemonade will be furnished. A map is included in this issue. This is also election time. Our nominating committee, Doyle Souders, made the following slate: Officers President: Robert Roberts; Executive Vice President: Robert Benson; 2nd Vice President: Kenneth Zapp; Secretary: Emma Jozaitis; and Treasurer: Sally Bible. dolences to Becky Wooten on the recent loss of her Mother, Marilyn “Joni” Greeno, who died April 16, 2005, at age 77. Directors Ray Buhrmaster Alton Christenson Edmond Clark Aaron Dunn Anona Dunn Michael Foss Dorothy Lindholm Melvin Nilsen Linda Roberts Doyle Souders Howard Soumie Robert Tobin Helen Warner Robert Warner TAPS Drusilla Savage, widow of Glenn N. Savage, died February 2, 2005. No other information. Dorothy Fletcher, widow of Raymond Fletcher, died the first part of May 2005, at 90 years old. Villma A. Shea, widow of Robert J. Shea, died April 12, 2005. No other information. Honorary Directors Frank D. Soderback, born Oct. 11, 1916 in Portland, died May 3, 2005, at age 88. Graduated from Roosevelt High School. He married Winifred Fachini, and later divorced. He joined the Police Bureau Jan. 6, 1947, and retired January 6, 1977. In 1978 he married Patricia. After retirement, he moved to Gresham and worked seasonally for Multnomah Greyhound Park. He was a member of Gresham Elks and Gold’s Gym. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, golfing and walking his daughter’s dog, Snoop. He was preceded in death by his wife, and is survived by his daughter, Christy Hufana of Gresham; step-daughters, Rita Falkland of Las Vegas, Jeri Fengler and Jaque Wherle of Portland. Lucine Dimoff Elmer Brown. Further nominations may be made, as stated by our bylaws. If you are interested in HR218, which allows us to carry arms in all states, (retired or working police), then contact Bob Benson. He has done a lot of research on it. The qualification is as follows; 1, Retired in good standing. 2. Prior retirement had full arrest powers. 3. Had 15 or more years of employment as Law Enforcement officer. 4. Has non-forfeitable (vested) right to retirement benefits with employing agency. 5. during prior 12 months met States firearm qualifications, and; 6. Is not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. William J. Johnson, born February 5, 1929, died May 10, 2005, at age 76.He served in the Navy, and joined the Portland Police Bureau March 3, 1955, and retired March 3, 1980. He retired to the Oregon coast and was living in Bay City, with his wife, Juna. Survivors include his wife; sons, Michael and Timothy; daughters, Lori Johnson and Lynda J. Williams; sister, Joan Morton; 4 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. We would like to offer our condolences to the families of these. We lost one of older and very active Board members recently. Dorothy Fletcher died at age 90. She and Ray were very active Board Members, with Ray writing this newsletter for years until he became too ill to do it. Dorothy and Ray were faithful in visiting ill members in hospitals and keeping tabs on the home-bound. We will miss Dorothy. We would like to offer our con- 2005 Deadlines for The Rap Sheet August issue: September issue: October issue: November issue: December issue: July 15 August 12 September 16 October 14 November 11 Central Precinct Back to School Month Southeast Precinct Month Northeast Precinct Month Holiday Safety Month *Articles and editorials must be submitted by the listed dates for consideration in The Rap Sheet. Email submissions to: [email protected] JULY 2005 • RAP SHEET • PAGE 5 Compton “Cowboys” - Race politics at the expense of cops By Jack Dunphy National Review Online columnist If you’ve watched any television news at all in the past few weeks, you’ve surely seen the video footage of Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies firing their weapons at a white Chevrolet Tahoe. The May 9 incident took place in Compton, a small city adjacent to South-Central Los Angeles, when deputies responded to a report of a shooting. The suspect, the deputies were told, was driving a white SUV, and when they spotted one in the area and tried to pull it over, the driver, 44-year-old Winston Hayes, refused to stop. Hayes led deputies on a low-speed chase through the residential area for about twelve minutes before finding his path blocked by squad cars. Rather than surrender, he drove onto the sidewalk and toward a home before stopping and reversing toward some deputies who had now left their cars. In the next 18 seconds, ten deputies fired 120 rounds at the Tahoe, hitting Hayes four times, but also sending bullets up and down the street to lodge in several homes. No bystanders were struck, but one deputy was wounded in the crossfire. Hayes was charged with felony evading and driving under the influence of drugs. As has become standard in such incidents, the reporting on the shooting included the racial calculus of those involved: Hayes is black, the neighborhood where the incident occurred is black and Latino, and the deputies who fired were of varied ethnicities. And because Hayes is black, the shooting also aroused the inevitable display of orchestrated outrage in the usual quarters, which of course included a visit by that peripatetic minister of grievance, Al Sharpton. Granted, it wasn’t pretty. Any cop who sees the tape can spot the tactical mistakes following one upon the other, the most glaring of which comes when deputies on opposite sidewalks fire at the Tahoe as it advances slowly up the street, only to find themselves shooting at each other as the truck comes to a stop between them. What is most surprising is that more people weren’t hurt. But while some of the published criticism of the deputies’ actions has been responsible and o PAGE 6 • RAP SHEET • JULY 2005 well-grounded, the shooting has also inspired a wave of what can best be described as anti-police hysteria, a glaring example of which was published in the op-ed section of the May 23 Los Angeles Times. Joe Domanick, a professor journalism at the University of Southern California, described the incident as a “drunken-cowboy shooting,” revealing that he, like fellow USC professor Robert Scheer, whose op-ed column appears in the Times each Tuesday, has found a way to spill the contents of his bile duct directly onto the pages of the newspaper. “They rolled out when a driver wouldn’t stop” Dominick wrote, “got frustrated and angry and shot at him again and again.” This is beyond insulting, but it should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Domanick’s earlier work. His 1994 book, To Protect and to Serve: the LAPD’s Century of War in the City of Dreams, is little more than a collection of the department’s most controversial incidents, each of them interpreted in the light least favorable to the involved officers. I am not so reflexively defensive of cops as to deny there have been many problems in the LAPD, but if the book were your only reference on the department you would be led to believe it had done nothing right in its entire history. Of the recent Compton shooting, Dominick wrote, “It’s an L.A. story so old, predictable and familiar — remember 13-year-old Devin Brown? — that it seems almost banal to discuss it again . . .” Yes, we remember Devin Brown, who in February was shot and killed as he attempted to run over an LAPD officer with a stolen car. We were told at the time he was an honor student when he in fact wasn’t, and we were told he wasn’t a gang member when he in fact was. But some of us also remember Ricardo Lizarraga, Brian Brown, Filbert Cuesta, Steven Gajda, and Mario Navidad, only the last five of the many LAPD officers to be shot and killed in the line of duty. And we remember Stephen Sorensen, David Powell, David March, Jake Kuredjian, and Michael Honeig, the last five L.A. County sheriff’s deputies to be similarly murdered. And, since Domanick and so many others find relevance in such facts, it should be pointed out that nearly all of these officers were gunned down by black or Latino men. If the • learned Professor Domanick found any outrage at all in the death of any of these officers, it apparently did not rise to a level that inspired him to publish anything about it. And if Domanick is so concerned with the perceived erosion of racial harmony in Compton, perhaps we can look forward to his commentary on an incident that merited only a brief mention deep within the second section of the May 25 L.A. Times. Here is the entire story, as reported by the Times: “Seven known black gang members have been arrested on suspicion of beating and shouting racial slurs at two white men who had left the Compton courthouse, sheriff’s officials said Tuesday. “The two, who are brothers, told deputies they were walking to their car Monday in a residential neighborhood when they were confronted by about 15 males shouting gang monikers and racial slurs, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. James Hellmold said. The brothers, ages 34 and 41, had cuts and bruises around their head, face and arms, and one said he was hit on the back of his head with a blunt instrument, Hellmold said.” I suppose it’s a wonder that the story appeared at all, but is there any doubt that if this incident instead involved two black men set upon and beaten by 15 white gang members, that the Times would have played it above the fold on the front page, probably for several days running? And wouldn’t the victims be subsisting on greenroom cold cuts for weeks on end as they made the rounds among the television news shows? As it is, you’ll probably never hear another word about it, especially from Joe Domanick. Joe Domanick would have you believe that the sheriff’s deputies who risk their lives to patrol the streets of Compton are a bigger threat to the city’s well-being than those 15 gang members. It costs a fortune to send a kid to USC; maybe now some parents will have an idea of what they’re paying for. — Jack Dunphy is an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department. “Jack Dunphy” is the author’s nom de cyber. The opinions expressed are his own and almost certainly do not reflect those of the LAPD management. Read us online at Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon By John Moe – Amazon.com It’s rare to find a travel guide and a memoir joined neatly together in a single, highly readable 176page volume. But Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Choke, Lullaby) is a writer of rare talent and his home of Portland, Oregon, is a city of rare wonders. In Strangers and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon, Palahniuk goes beyond the AAA handbooks to reveal the places, people, and legends of Portland that have long been known only to locals. The reader learns the location of the legendary Self Cleaning House, where to find the restless ghost of the founder of Powell’s Books, and why feral cats are such an important part of Portland baseball. Portland, it seems, is also a highly sexual city and Palahniuk dutifully dissects the specialties of each strip joint as well as discussing Mochika, a zoo penguin with a real fetish for black boots. Along the way, he includes “postcards” from his life in the Rose City dating back to 1981 when, as a 19-year-old, he dropped acid and accidentally ate part of a woman’s fur coat during a laser show of Pink Floyd’s The Wall. As Palahniuk matures, the postcards reveal the author becoming increasingly a part of the city’s scene, culminating with a wild and wooly Millennium Eve celebration at the Baghdad Theater that featured a screening of the film version of Fight Club. Fugitives and Refugees is a must for anyone who may, in their lives, go to Portland. But its appeal should reach beyond Oregonians. Palahniuk’s love of the city is so Purchase, Refinance, or Line of Credit great, and his stories so weirdly wonderful, it makes one want to get out of the house, get in the car, and drive to Portland right away. Just remember to pack the book. Home Loan Programs to Meet Your Needs: Veterans Program $ 0 down Interest Only Officer Next Door No Origination Fee for Law Enforcement Officers Call for your free pre-approval 503-445-2241 503-445-2242 CELL: 503-860-0516 PHONE: FAX: Committed to giving you the best possible rates & the highest level of service available. Apply securely and confidentially online at www.EquityGrowthFinancial.com Cadets assist at plane crash site By Juanita Downing North Precinct Volunteer On Saturday, April 30, North Precinct cadets John Davis and Carisa Rudnick were out on their regular swing shift patrol in downtown St. Johns when they received a call from dispatch. Davis said, “We were at Pattie’s Home Plate Café listening to the Big Foot Convention when the plane crash call came out. Dispatch got a hold of us and called us to the scene.” Davis and Rudnick were first sent to MLK and Columbia, but on their way there, they were told to go to the Columbia Waste Water Treatment Plant instead. As they were heading for Columbia, all the other officers’ cars were coming toward them, so they did a u-turn. Then the call came that the plane was on Portland Road., and the North Precinct Cadets were the second car on the scene. North Precinct Sgt. Donald Kahut asked Davis and Rudnick to shut off the traffic on Marine Drive and Portland Road and it was done. Sgt. Kahut then sent Davis back to North Precinct for more flares and batteries. His trip back and forth was not easy as he had to navigate around many fire trucks, police cars and media vehicles. By the time Davis got back to the scene, a few East Precinct cadets had arrived to assist. Davis explained, “They did a good job of www.portlandpoliceassociation.com • setting the flares up. When we set the flares up, we just shut the road off. But they shut down the turning lanes and put out more flares to direct traffic.” Davis added, “I am grateful to the East Precinct cadets. They came a long way and I really appreciate their help. North Precinct is short on Cadets and when a call comes out, we like to help each other out.” The following East Precinct cadets assisted with the plane crash: Adam Anderson, David Bieker, Ron Brown, Greg Budey, James Trendell, and Ryan Waters. Thanks to all the Cadets who were called to the scene for a job well done! JULY 2005 • RAP SHEET • PAGE 7 Good Cop—Bad Cop What real life cops think of Hollywood Portrayals By Bill Gallagher Brainstorm Northwest magazine, December 2002 issue Editor’s Note: Many of you probably haven’t seen this. Great story. PS edges that because so much of what he does is write reports, reality can’t touch fantasy when it comes to audience appeal. What follows are cop movie lists based on what these ten co- operative Portland Police Bureau officers told BrainstormNW. They were recruited for critic duties by a Bureau wide email. Their opinions are only their own and not the Bureau’s. The ten best cop movies of all time Officer Jim Lawrence came up with half of this list. His top five cop movies all came up in interviews with the other ten officer/critics. 1. The French Connection. This is as close as you’ll come to a GREAT cop movie. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1971. Gene Hackman as Pop- “Most police movies make me want to puke. Make that your lead.” - Detective Sergeant Scott Johnson In real life there are more good cops than there are bad cops. But in Hollywood, most of the good movies are about bad cops. If all you know about police work is what you see on the big screen, you might think being a cop is either about breaking the rules to get the bad guys or going all the way over to the dark side and becoming one of the bad guys. Think again. Here to straighten you out are eleven members of the Portland Police Bureau. BrainstormNW asked them to play film critic when it comes to cop movies. They were asked to critique the way their careers in law enforcement are portrayed on the big screen. This is just about cop movies, not cop television shows. Cops get a much better shake on the small screen. And no Feds. We’re talking strictly local cops, from the big cities to the suburbs, from the boondocks to the backwoods, as rendered for the box office. The critical consensus is that there are really only a few good cop movies and a lot of really bad cop movies along with some stupid and some dangerous cop movies. But there are no really great cop movies. There are some great scenes and great performances in various cop movies but never a beginning-to-end film classic about a cop or cops. The officer/critics also agreed that only a few cop movies bear even a passing resemblance to the reality of their jobs. And they raise the issue of dealing with what I’ll call the “Training Day/Bad Lieutenant thing.” Bad cop movies like these give those who don’t know better the idea that the cops are criminals too, nothing more than crooks and killers with badges. Try telling the 17-year old gang banger who’s seen Denzel as Detective Alonzo Harris about twenty times that the cops aren’t brutal and corrupt. But the studios know that what sells tickets is the extreme. More than one officer acknowl- PAGE 8 • RAP SHEET • JULY 2005 • Read us online at ...Good Cop, Bad Cop eye Doyle, the dogged New York narcotics detective, captures the reality of surveillance work when he’s seen eating cold pizza outside the fancy restaurant where the suspect is dining. The chase scene is shown in training classes at police academies. It’s directed by the same guy, William Friedkin, who spent a lot of time in Portland recently directing “The Hunted,” with Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro. 2. The New Centurions. One of the few cop movies that features officers in uniforms working the streets. Based on a Joseph Wambaugh book and starring George C. Scott and Stacey Keach, this underrated cop movie gives us two smart cops consumed by the job. 3. Colors. Who would think that a movie starring Sean Penn and directed by Dennis Hopper (Remember “Easy Rider?” He directed that too.) would make this list. But it kept coming up in conversations with the officers. It’s based in L.A. in 1987 when gang wars were at their peak (387 gang-related killings the year before). Penn plays the adrenalized rookie teamed with the savvy veteran street officer played by Robert Duvall. “Colors”gets it. “That movie had a huge impact on how kids looked at us,” according to Officer Rafe Cancio of Portland’s Gang Enforcement Team. 4. The Border. This almost violates the “no Feds” condition since it tells the story of a uniformed Border Patrol officer, but Jack Nicholson does such a great job playing the conflicted cop that I’ll make an exception. He’s dealing with what a lot of street cops deal with every day: the futility of the work. You bust them; they’re back on the streets. You deport them; they’re back wading across the Rio Grande. Pretty harsh treatment of Jack’s fellow border patrol officers (especially Harvey Keitel as the smuggler’s accomplice) betrays a bit of an anti-cop bias. 5. Heat. Back in the mid-90s I interviewed then—Portland Police Chief Charles Moose and asked him about his favorite cop movie. The man who has become the bestknown police chief in America said there was only one: “Heat.” It stars Al Pacino as the edgy LAPD Robbery-Homicide detective who’s up against Robert DeNiro as the brains behind a crack team of armed robbers. Written and directed by Michael Mann of “Miami Vice” fame, it appeals to lots of cops for the way it shows the cost of being consumed by your career fighting crime. Now the rest of the best. The other five cop movies that belong on the list. 6. Dirty Harry. Most of the officers chuckled when I mentioned Clint Eastwood’s best known role. “Escapist…almost cartoonish,” is the way Officer Bob Gorgone describes the movie that New Yorker critic Pauline Kael once called “a remarkably single-minded attack on liberal values.” Released in 1971, it had an eerie resonance recently as the snipers near Washington DC demanded $10 million to stop the killing just as the psycho killer in “Harry” had. 7. Fargo. There’s not enough of Marge Gunderson of the Brainerd, Minnesota police force—as played by Frances McDormand in this film from the Coen Brothers—but what there is of her appeals to all the officers who mentioned this movie. She’s a decent cop playing by the rules, maintaining a home life and not losing her humanity on the job. She even shoots a fleeing low-life sociopath in the lower leg to wound rather than kill him. 8. L.A. Confidential. James Ellroy, who wrote the book on which this movie is based, won’t cop to how much of this story is based on the truth. In fact, he brags about making it all up. But for a probing look at the personalities that make up a big city police force, you can’t beat this one from director Curtis Hanson. It’s got corrupt cops, honest cops and conflicted cops played by Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and James Cromwell. This is arguably the best ensemble cast ever in a cop movie. 9. Serpico. Is there better dramatic material for a cop movie than the agony of the officer who decides to expose the venality of his colleagues? Al Pacino plays Frank Serpico of the NYPD as neither saint nor crusader but as a man who believes that doing his job as a cop means calling out cops who can’t be trusted. Pacino has played lots of cops, but never as well as he plays this role. 10. A tie between The Pledge and Homicide. Sean Penn directs Jack Nicholson in “The Pledge,” which deals with a detective in a mid-sized city who can’t let go of his last case. Jack goes around the bend but the obsession with (or commitment to) that one case can be typical, according to our panel of police officer critics. “Homicide” is here because I had to find a place for at least one David Mamet movie. Joe Mantegna plays a detective who happens to be Jewish and finds himself caught between his religion and his alle- www.portlandpoliceassociation.com • giance to the police force. Mamet dialog crackles with cop-speak. The three “best” worst cop movies When I asked Sergeant Brian Schmautz of the Portland Police Bureau for help contacting officers who might have something to say about cop movies I mentioned “Training Day.” There was a long pause on the other end of the phone line. Then he said, slowly, “That… movie…was…unnerving.” 1. Training Day. Denzel Washington finally gets his Academy Award for Best Actor and it’s in a movie that a few of the officers I spoke with couldn’t even watch. Unfortunately, lots of kids and criminals have watched it. “They see that movie and they see us as ugly, evil and corrupt,” according to Officer Gorgone. “’Training Day’ is as harmful as any movie I’ve ever seen when it comes to police work,” says Officer Jerry Cioeta. “I’ve had kids say to me, ‘Hey, don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve seen the movie. I know you beat people up.’” 2. Bad Lieutenant. When I told non-cops I was working on a piece about cop movies, a typical response was, “Oh, like ‘Bad Lieutenant?’” Harvey Keitel plays the Lieutenant who even other bad cops can’t believe when it comes to how low he has sunk. As with “Training Day,” some officers can’t stand to watch this one all the way through. 3. Internal Affairs. The rare corrupt cop movie that features a uniformed officer. In this case Richard Gere plays an LAPD Sergeant who crosses way over the line and will kill his partner to protect his criminal enterprise. The crusading Internal Affairs officer (Andy Garcia) who goes after him is only marginally better. He’s supposed to be the good guy but he belts his wife at one point and violates about a dozen department rules along the way. time investigating crimes, tracking down leads, typing up reports and sitting in court. It’s difficult, tedious work and you’re not going to get rich doing it. But I’ve been on the job for 28 years and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m a detective, that’s what I do. If you break the law in my city I will do everything in my power to hunt you down and put you behind bars.” Delivered to a classroom of elementary school kids. Good speech. Lousy movie. Or, as Captain Mike Bell, Commander of the Transit Police Division with the Portland Police Bureau, says, “My wife tells me, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to be a movie Captain?’ She means wouldn’t it be neat not to have to go to endless meetings, deal with mountains of paper and get to be out on the streets sometimes?” And this, from Sergeant Johnson, who finds that most cop movies make him want to puke. “They’re all about this man of action. Man of action? I’m a man of writing reports.” Our panel of cop movie critics: Officer Jim Lawrence, Officer Rafe Cancio, Officer Bob Gorgone, Officer Garth Edwards, Officer Jerry Cioeta, Officer Jeff Helfrich, Detective John Brooks, Sergeant Detective Scott Johnson, Sergeant Brian Schmautz and Captain Mike Bell. Bill Gallagher is Program Director and Movie Critic for Newstalk 860 KPAM. Best speech about cop movies in a cop movie 1. From Showtime starring Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy. “Being a police officer is not what you see on television. I’ve never had to choose between the red wire and the blue wire. Never seen a police car flip over causing a chain reaction with other cars that burst into flames. Never had to jump from one rooftop to another. I spend my JULY 2005 • RAP SHEET • PAGE 9 Let’s Talk • By Daryl Turner More needs to be done to help injured officers 9304 SE Main St. Milwaukie, Oregon 97222 A couple of weeks ago a s I wa s walking out of the lobby of Central Precinct, I ran into Officer Mike Davis. I knew Mike from working Central Days years ago. Mike worked the upper Northwest District and is well-known and respected by those he worked around. Mike sustained injuries in a horrific car accident on the freeway when a vehicle hit his stationary patrol car as he was performing his duties as a Portland Police Officer. As I talked to Mike, it was obvious that he was unhappy about the way officers with serious workrelated injuries are treated by the City and the Bureau. The story is the same, although the names may be different. Whether the last name is Davis, Guzman, Barker, Groepper, Wynn, Hergert, Harmon, or Steinbronn, why should the City be allowed to add insult to injury? Cops who are injured or who have work-related illnesses should be treated a lot better than they are by the system. First of all, Mayor Potter and Randy Leonard should get together and take all that time they’ve been using to find ways to interfere in Bureau policies and find a way to help injured cops and firefighters keep respectable health benefits and wages. I don’t know a cop in this city that comes to work thinking “I can get shot, run over or get cancer today so the City will give me a free ride for the rest of my life.” No cop hopes to sustain a career ending injury or illness so that they can live off of reduced wages and medical benefits. Any cop who loses their ability to work at their chosen profession because of an on-the-job injury or illness not only should receive their full pay, they should also keep their full benefits until they are of retirement age. Those who are able, should be allowed to come back to work in a limited-duty capacity doing something worthwhile like helping with investigations or working with the training division, mentoring young officers, or working in E.A.P. We, as a membership, need to push for changes in the way officers are treated when they incur on-thejob disabilities. Sure, there’s going to be a small percentage of those who will try to milk the system, either faking an injury or exaggerating the extent of an injury. But should the large majority be punished by a system that causes them to lose good wages and benefits because in the course of doing their jobs something happens which causes that officer to be unable to work full duty either temporarily or for life? The answer is not just no, but Hell No! The Mayor’s office should make it a priority to solve this problem or to appoint someone to do it. We as cops feel secure in our ability to take care of ourselves on the job. We feel like the most important issue on a daily basis is to protect the citizens of Portland to go home healthy at the end of every shift. When we get hurt or ill, we need to know that we will be taken care of in a dignified manner and Mayor Potter can help make this a reality. Proudly supports Portland’s Finest Subscribe to The Rap Sheet today for only $20.00 per year and have it delivered to you via US Mail. General Distributors Inc. Quality Beverages since 1933 13895 Fir St. Oregon City, Oregon 97045 503-656-9470 Name:______________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________ City: ____________________State:_____________ Zip: ___________ ___Check or money order enclosed ___ Visa/MasterCard - Number:__________________________________ Exp._______ Phone orders can be placed by calling Laurie Keller @ (503) 225-9760. Mail to: The Rap Sheet 1313 NW 19th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97209 We support the Designated Driver Program PAGE 10 • RAP SHEET • JULY 2005 • Read us online at Secretary-Treasurer’s Report • By Leo Painton By the t i me you rea d t h is article, The Oregonian should have published its investigative report on the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund (FPDR). I can only guess what their report might say but I do not believe that the results will make anyone happy. As with any disability and retirement system, ours has problems. However, our system tends to be unique to this country. I have attend several educational and training seminars over the years as an FPDR trustee. Two particular differences stand out when comparing us to other systems. The first is the fact that we are a pay as you go system. The FPDR trustees develop a budget each year, present that to the Council and the budget is funded by property taxes. This is the funding mechanism that the citizens of Portland chose. We have tried to change it over the years but the political will to make the hard choices has not been there. The second is the fact that we deal with both disability and retirement issues of Portland police officers and firefighters. Many systems separate these two issues. As an example the state of Oregon has the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and a separate Workers Compensation system. As I have mentioned on these pages before, I am now sitting on a second citizens’ committee that is reviewing the FPDR system. Our directive from City Council is to come up with suggestions on how to fund a system that has grown to a $ 1.3 billion dollar deficit to the City. Had we started funding it when the earlier committee finished their work it sat at approximately $ 9 million. Our second directive is to review the disability costs of our system. This task will be a little more cumbersome to the committee because a comparison to other systems can be very difficult. As an example the state system has three components when it comes to disability issues. There is Workers Compensation, social security and PERS has a disability component. Based on the difficulty the committee has had in getting proposals to do the work, others must believe that this could be a daunting task also. I firmly believe the City would like to be wipe their hands of the FPDR and place all new hires into the state system for both retirement and disability purposes. of our injured police officers and firefighters. It has become more difficult in this day of more cases of Hepatitis C which is not a presumptive disease under the FPDR Charter as is Hepatitis B. It was not a known quantity when the Charter was amended. There are more studies indicating a connection between methamphetamine and higher cases of cancer in public safety personnel because of our contact with labs and the idiots who build them. Rising health care costs also take their toll. Firefighter Bob Lemon and I will maintain an open mind while we work with the committee, but will remain ever vigilant in taking care of our fellow police officers and firefighters. My hope is that the citizens of Portland would also like to maintain control over taking care of their public safety officers and not turn them over to the State. Obviously, for those already working here, you have a contractual right to the retirement you signed up for when you were hired. We are not so sure about the disability benefits. The trustees of the FPDR are constantly looking for ways to conserve disability costs while still looking out for the interests WILLAMETTE MORTGAGE SERVICES 0% Down Officer/Teacher, FHA, VA, & Construction Loan Products. Easy qualifying! One-on-one attention! We walk you through the ENTIRE process. Apply over the phone, fax or e-mail. Appointments to fit YOUR busy schedule. Want to buy a home with no down payment? 100% financing available! FREE HOME APPRAISAL! WE CAN BEAT MOST GOOD FAITH ESTIMATES! Portland Police Highland Guard BRANDON TOMKINS Mortgage Broker / Police Officer Telephone: (503) 496-0530 19210 SE McLoughlin Boulevard; Gladstone, Oregon 97027 [email protected] The Portland Police Highland guard is proud to serve the members of the PPB and our community with the provision of music in the tradition of Scottish military and police bands. Our organization is comprised of Portland Police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, and family members of the same. The Highland Guard seeks new members. Interested parties should contact the director of new member training, Officer Brian Kelly @ East Precinct 503-823-4800. 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 Oregon 97208 www.portlandpoliceassociation.com • JULY 2005 • RAP SHEET • PAGE 11 Movers and Shakers Recent transfers, promotions, resignations and retirements Police Officer Gail Alexander (DPSST # 37248) returned from an extended Leave of Absence and was assigned to Northeast Precinct effective May 2, 2005. Detective David Anderson (DPSST # 18154) East Precinct/ Detectives transferred to the East Precinct/Detective Supervisory Sergeant position effective April 7, 2005. Police Administrative Support Specialist Debra Antone (DPSST # 29667) Drugs & Vice Division/Asset Forfeitures Unit was promoted to Evidence Control Specialist and assigned to the Property/Evidence Division effective April 25, 2005. Police Officer Darryl Dodak (DPSST #44054) Northeast Precinct resigned from the Bureau effective March 12, 2005. Police Officer John Grable (DPSST # 24187) Central Precinct transferred to the Drugs and Vice Division effective April 21, 2005. Crime Analyst Wendy LinKelly (DPSST # 34775) Planning and Support Division resigned from the Bureau effective April 15, 2005. Police Officer Scott McCollister (DPSST # 40709) East Precinct was placed on Leave of Service effective April 21, 2005. Administrative Assistant Veronica Nordeen (DPSST # 38179) Records Division was promoted to Program Specialist through accretion of duties and will remain in the Records Division effective September 21, 2004. Police Officer Jeffrey Parker (DPSST # 23993) returned to duty from a Leave of Service and was assigned to North Precinct effective April 18, 2005. Police Officer Stuart Palmiter (DPSST # 27244) Northeast Precinct was placed on Leave of Service effective April 19, 2005. Police Officer David Ragland (DPSST # 14641) Operations Support/Telephone Report Unit was placed on Leave of Service effective March 31, 2005. Police Officer John Rebman (DPSST # 25220) Traffic Division was placed on Administrative Leave effective May 5, 2005. Sergeant Kelli Sheffer (DPSST # 19192) Central Precinct transferred to Central Detectives as a Supervisory Sergeant effective April 21, 2005. Marti Strohmeyer (DPSST # 39063) was appointed Police Records Specialist and assigned to the Records Division effective May 3, 2005. Police Information & Referral Specialist Debra Tester (DPSST # 38110) Information and Referral Unit resigned from the Bureau effective May 4, 2005. Police Administrative Support Specialist Scott Thoman (DPSST # 38107) Personnel Division was promoted to Evidence Control Specialist and assigned to the Property/Evidence Division effective May 19, 2005. Sergea nt Er ic Torgerson (DPSST # 29361) Central Precinct was placed on Administrative Leave effective May 9, 2005. Police Officer Chad Wilcott (DPSST # 34585) North Precinct resigned from the Bureau effective April 22, 2005. Police Records Specialist Sherry Winslow (DPSST # 33733) Records Division was promoted to Police Records Training Coordinator and will remain in the Records Division effective May 5, 2005. Sergea nt Ka rl McDade (DPSST # 2994), North Precinct, retired from the Bureau after twenty years of service effective May 31, 2005. Retirements Sergeant Axel Gerber (DPSST # 7382), Identification Division, retired from the Bureau after twentynine years of service effective June 15, 2005. O f f i c e r D o u g Ko slo s k e (DPSST # 9336), Drugs and Vice Division, retired from the Bureau after twenty-seven years of service effective June 30, 2005. Police Officer Rebecca Wooten (DPSST # 9807), Detective Division / DA Investigator, retired from the Bureau after twenty-seven years of service effective April 12, 2005. S e rge a nt St eve n L a r s e n (DPSST # 12246), East Precinct / Air Support Unit, retired from the Bureau after twenty-six years of service effective June 7, 2005 July is Youth Crime Prevention Month PAGE 12 • RAP SHEET • JULY 2005 • Read us online at