Site Navigation

Rapping Back #2:
POPSG's Anslysis of Information in the Police Union Monthly Newsletter, The Rap Sheet

More Reflections from Representatives of Our Community Police

A cartoon appeared in February's Rap Sheet. You see "Portland's Law Enforcement" represented by a large boxer, whose hand is tied down by a rope labelled "PIIAC." Is this the image of Community Policing being trumpeted around the nation?

Who's more morbid?: Rap Sheet Editor Jeff Barker, whose comments we featured in the last issue, took some swipes at a new target in Feburary: community activist T.J. Browning. Browning helped form the Nathan McMurray Thomas Memorial Trust shortly after the 12 year old was accidentally killed when police fired at the man who took Thomas hostage. In January, Browning made the mistake of calling for a strong civilian oversight process for Portland's Police. This was her reward:

A short time after the death of Nathan Thomas, ...T.J. Browning appeared before the PPA asking for funds to build a soccer field in Nathan's memory. The PPA contributed & T.J. seemed to like the lure of media attention.

Since that time she has taken on the public role as a police basher and it is embarassing to see her figuratively drag out the coffin of little Nathan to perform her song and dance.

The decline of civilization?: Barker retread old ground by referring to PIIAC member Emily Simon as "a bitter and unhappy person." He wondered whether Simon and two other "+criminal defense attorneys" on PIIAC's Citizen Advisory are:

...trying to back the police into a corner so the police will find it is too much trouble to arrest criminals? Will we be reduced to just being report-takers, turning our collective backs on proactive police work and allowing the criminal element to once again become firmly established in their drug trade and other criminal enterprises? ...If they win and we lose, Portland will rot from the inside like many of the country's other cities.

The extent of the exaggeration of these fears is evident when you consider (a) PIIAC's caseload against IID's (15 vs. 400 cases a year), (b) the types of cases PIIAC reviews, and (c) the low number of cases which ever get returned to IID for further investigation.

Fact checking: Barker's continuing disregard for reporting facts resurfaced when he referred to media activist Paul Richmond "of Flying Focus Video." Had Barker done any research at all, he would have known that Richmond stopped working with that group over two years ago.

To his credit, Barker discussed the huge new fines for traffic violations, noting that the public vents anger at the police when they get a ticket, rather than the legislators who set the fines. "Some officers believe the bails are so excessive they are no longer willing to write traffic citations."

Later in the same article, he reminisced about days of old when he would help motorists change their tires. He turns around on modern concepts, wondering: Is changing a citizen's tire considered Community Policing?

Well, I didn't get a four for six overtime shot for my 15 minutes, so the Community Policing purists would probably say not. Maybe it was just old-fashioned police work.

We'll keep you up to date on what the official union newspaper of Portland's rank-and-file has to say, or you can subscribe to it for $10 a year by writing Porltand Police Association, 808 SE 19th, Portland, OR 97214.

Second Quarter, 1994
Also in PPR #2

Portland Copwatch
PO Box 42456
Portland, OR 97242
(503) 236-3065/ Incident Report Line (503) 321-5120
e-mail: copwatch@portlandcopwatch.org

Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.

People's Police Report #02 Table of Contents
Back to Portland Copwatch home page
Peace and Justice Works home page
Back to top