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Rapping Back Police Association's Phony Analysis Protests Against Political Agendas Despite the end of elections season, lack of any major protest actions, or other apparent distractions to Portland Police Association (PPA) President Daryl Turner, the PPA's Facebook page has continued to have far less content than in the past. (Furthermore, the PPA's aggregating "newsletter" page, "The Rap Sheet," led to an error page in March, replaced by the PPB's Instagram feed in mid- April.) Only 19 pieces were posted from late December to mid-April. As noted in PPR #76, the reduction in number did not change the focus of Portland's rank-and-file police "union." The greatest proportion-- 26% (5 pieces)-- was dedicated to stories about "officer friendly" activities which PCW has labelled "bluewashing." The other repeat topics were houselessness, protests, and "anti-cop" attitudes, with two posts each. Returning to a point he has raised previously, Turner posted an homage to Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 18, emphasizing the civil rights leader's work with the sanitation workers' union at the time of his death. Again, Turner ignores how the police frequently attacked MLK and his followers (PPR #75).
In the wake of the scandal that revealed friendly texts between Lt. Jeff Niiya and the right-wing Patriot Prayer group (p.1), Turner posted two pieces. The first, from February 19, also appeared on the PPA's main website, ppavigil.org as a "President's message." In it, he complains three members of City Council-- the Mayor and Commissioners Chloe Eudaly and Jo Ann Hardesty-- raised concerns about Niiya's cozy relationship with the man whose protests are deliberately designed to provoke backlash. Turner writes the Council needs to "put facts ahead of political agendas." This from the man who described Portland as a "cesspool" because of houseless people (PPR #75). He claims by befriending Patriot Prayer, the police were being "proactive" and prevented a clash between protestors on August 4 last year. There is no mention the police went on a rampage against the counter-demonstrators, seriously injuring two people with so-called "less lethal" weapons. Turner says the elected leaders "pushing out sensationalized soundbites ahead of an investigation does a disservice to our citizens and our rank and file officers." Two days later, Turner jumped on Commissioner Eudaly for responding to the head of the Lieutenants' "union" which represents Niiya. On February 19, Willamette Week quoted Lt. Craig Morgan saying Mayor Wheeler does not understand "basic police work," and Eudaly asked whether that included "ignoring racist and right wing extremist thugs... and arresting left wing activists for no reason." Turner's post, labeled "In response to Commissioner Eudaly's accusation," accuses the Commissioner of anti-police bias (a tired trope aimed at anyone calling for accountability). He then asks what she has to say about protestors who damage property, set fires, block transit, throw objects and endanger the police and "peaceful protestors." Never mind, again, that the peaceful protestors are in danger because the police choose to impose collective punishment against such actions rather than arresting or making note of those who do such things for later arrest. Turner touts his 28 years of experience as an officer and asks Eudaly for an apology. As far as we know, that has not happened. Back to Bashing Houseless People and Lifting Up Cops, No Questions Asked Two of the three pieces posted to the PPA Facebook page about houseless persons, on December 21 and March 18, are reposts of news stories about accumulated campsites in northeast Portland (KPTV) and along a bike path (KGW). However, the earlier story was linked through the Lents Neighborhood Livability Association, a "shadow" neighborhood group which is virulently anti- houseless. The third piece, posted April 1, featured a Seattle TV news story about the city "dying" due to houseless people. Stories pushing out officers' "community engagement" included shopping with young people at Target before the holidays (December 19) and female officers with their "Girl Cops are Awesome" slogan for International Women's Day (March 8). One reports the PPB is reviving a hockey team they used to have in the 1970s to play for charity, which is ok except the team is apparently being called the "Blueliners." As in, the Thin Blue Line, Blue Lives Matter, and the "blue wall of silence." The PPA also gives a gold star to officer David Enz for being named "Traffic cop of the year" (January 12) and praises federal law enforcement for continuing to work through the government shutdown (January 25). Comparing the federal cops to the PPB, Turner states "we put service before personal interests." Hmm, if that is so, why are officers' lives made more valuable than community members when they say "I feared for my life" and kill people? Low Recruitment Due to "Anti-Police" City? Turner let loose in an April 8 diatribe claiming the number one reason the Bureau can't recruit new officers is the "intense anti-police sentiment in our City that City Council seems to share." He reports Chief Outlaw tried to tell Council about this problem at a budget hearing by saying officers "work under a microscope" and are "vilified." Turner dismisses other reasons police departments around the country can't recruit, including low unemployment rates and the dangers of policing, instead saying "City Hall has put a stranglehold on proactive policing." Perhaps a prelude to legal action, he calls this attitude a "hostile work environment." Days earlier, on April 2, Turner posted a KPTV-Fox12 piece saying the Clackamas Sheriff is pulling back from doing support work in Portland due to "anti-police" issues... such as holding cops accountable for misconduct. |
May, 2019
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Portland Copwatch Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.
People's Police Report
#77 Table of Contents
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Railing Against City Council's Concerns of Bias at Protests