Wednesday, February 17, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Looking
Outward
Dan Glode
Columnist
A thank-you to
police officers
On my honor, I will never
betray my profession, my
integrity, character, or the
public trust. I will always
have the courage to hold
myself and others account-
able for our actions. I will
always uphold the laws of
my country, my community,
and the agency I serve.
— Law Enforcement
Oath of Honor
I was very disturbed to
read that Seaside Police Sgt.
Jason Gooding, age 39, was
shot and killed recently. He
was executing an arrest war-
rant on a felon, Phillip Ferry,
who had a record of assaults
on police officers. Jason
Gooding had two small
kids. Daddy is never coming
home for them again.
I was district attorney for
12 years in Lincoln County
and knew all the officers in
that county. Each and every
day the thought they might
not come back entered their
heads and the heads of their
spouses. Not always up front
but it was there sitting in the
back.
I want to write about
something that has been
bugging me for some time:
proportionality in the way
police misconduct cases
are reported in the media,
particularly the broadcast
media. I think is has a nega-
tive and far-reaching effect
not only on the way offi-
cers and law enforcement
in general is perceived but,
in time, it may erode their
effectiveness.
Believe me, I am very
much opposed to racial pro-
filing and have worked on
the issue at the local and
state levels. The numbers
have to be dealt with —
more black and Hispanic
youth get arrested, and
more are assaulted by law
enforcement proportionate
to whites. It’s a reality that
is there and endemic in our
society — in all professions,
frankly — but is more seri-
ous at the law enforcement
level as they are the peace-
keepers and have a duty to
be fair. Having said all that,
how the media reports on
law enforcement is horrid,
and terribly imbalanced.
Let me throw some num-
bers out at you. There have
been 1,466 police officers
killed in the line of duty over
the past 10 years. A cop is
killed every 60 hours. There
have been 58,930 assaults on
police officers over the past
10 years resulting in 15,404
injuries. 9/11 was the worst
day in NYC history when 72
officers died.
Sometimes I think the
public regards police offi-
cers as they do a public util-
ity. You turn a light switch
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on and you get light, turn
on the faucet and you get
water, call 911 and you get
a cop at your door. Imagine
it: you are in your home late
at night and you hear an
intruder; you call 911 and
a Deschutes County dep-
uty shows up. He/she will
make sure you are safe and
if there is a dangerous or
deadly encounter they will
get between you and the
intruder and perhaps make
a costly sacrifice for you
that night. It may be the first
time you meet them.
The police business is
not glamorous. Much of
what they deal with is going
to domestic violence scenes
and breaking up domestic
disputes resulting in inju-
ries. Ugly scenes. They
sometimes have to remove
kids from abusive situa-
tions. They mediate things
between disputing neigh-
bors, they make traffic stops,
give tickets, break up bar
fights and on and on.
We expect them to have
the patience of Job and
the wisdom of Solomon.
We expect them to be our
defenders. They have to
have extensive legal train-
ing and keep up with every
changing law. They spend
a lot of time in court. They
have to be honest as the day
as long. They have to be pro-
fessional at all times even
when some drunk is cussing
them, resisting arrest, kick-
ing and screaming. They get
spit on often and still have to
deal in a calm manner with
people I cannot adequately
describe in this family
newspaper.
I get angry when I hear
Brooke Baldwin on CNN
talk about some out-of-line
cop on every news cycle
for days and then lateral the
story to the next anchor. I get
particularly angry when they
offer the usual “of course
most officers are dedicated
people” disclaimer before
they slam cops again. It
doesn’t seem at all propor-
tional. What good cops do
each and every day does not
seem to capture the imagina-
tion of broadcast news.
When I was DA, I prose-
cuted doctors, lawyers, min-
isters and teachers for sex
abuse. Does that mean all
doctors are sex offenders?
All, like cops, were in posi-
tons of trust. There are bad
cops out there as there are
bad actors in all professions.
They are a product of the
same institutionally racist
organizations we all are. It’s
America. We cannot ignore
the offenders in any profes-
sion, but neither can we use
a broad brush to subtly con-
demn their profession either
— and particularly not law
enforcement. I am tired of
the media fanning the flames
on this one. It’s incessant.
I had the opportunity as
DA to work with hundreds
of great cops over my 12
years. I guarantee you, they
were the Jason Gooding
kind. You know what?
The deputies patrolling the
streets of Sisters are, too.
Next time they drive by, why
not thank them for their ser-
vice? They deserve it. They
deserve a hell of a lot more,
but a thank-you will do.
Dan Glode is a former
district attorney for Lincoln
County and Sisters resident.
oSu-
Cascades
students will
live in former
college dorm
BEND (AP) — Oregon
State University’s Cascades
campus plans to house
incoming freshmen at
Central Oregon Community
College’s former residence
hall.
The Bulletin reports
that OSU-Cascades’ initial
10-acre campus is under con-
struction in southwest Bend.
Although officials expect
the academic building to be
ready by fall, a dining cen-
ter and 300-bed residence
hall aren’t scheduled to be
completed until January
2017.
OSU-Cascades Director
of Enrollment Services
and Student Success Jane
Reynolds says the university
has been looking for a place
to house its freshmen since
last fall. She says they con-
sidered having students stay
at nearby hotels before set-
tling on the community col-
lege dorm.
COCC’s 100-bed Juniper
Hall has been empty
since a new residence hall
opened last fall. A com-
mittee was trying to decide
how to use the building
when OSU approached the
college.
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