Editorial
Crime in Oregon
a complex problem
Seven yean ago Portland was one of the country's most
liveable cities. According to FBI crime figures released last
week, however, that has changed. Portland now is con
sidered one of nation's most dangerous cities because of its
increased crime rate If crime in Portland, and the rest of
Oregon, is to be solved, several aspects must be considered
The FBI report showed Portland to have the 28th
highest overall murder rate while remaining the nation's
40th largest city. Fifty-three murders have been committed
in Portland this year compared to 50 in 1986. Burglary and
robbery were the only crime rates down since the first of the
year.
Portland surpasses larger cities such as Washington
D.C.. Cleveland or San Francisco. Cincinnati, a city slightly
larger than Portland, only has about half the amount of
crime.
The most apparent reason for an increase in crime is
overcrowded |ails. Currently, officials have been issuing
temporary leave to convicts to create more space. Temporary
leave releases inmates before they are eligible for parole.
But reports from state officials say even releasing some
inmates early is not solving the problem. Corrections Direc
tor Michael Francke cited public support for stiffer fail
sentences and an increased number of jail arrests as the main
cause of current overcrowding.
Both Gov. Neil Goldschmidt and the public support
plans for more prison space. A minimum-security prison has
been proposed and would add space for 1.00 inmates. But
because of problems with the temporary-leave system, the
credibility of determining dangerous criminals and low-risk
criminals has been questioned.
The increase in crime also is related to and perpetuates
an understaffed police force. Already Portland police in the
homicide department are overburdened with screening
which cases to investigate. Because of the lack of police,
some cases cannot be investigated
"We're on the verge of burnout up here. We're simply
going day and night non-stop." Sgt. Larry Neville of the
Portland homicide unit said after the 52nd murder was
discovered.
It is easy to cite the sources of a problem, but not always
as easy to solve them. Obviously, increasing jail space will
enforce the punishment principle of our judicial system. It
also will reduce the potential for dangerous criminals to be
released on temporary leave.
Increasing the police force is another solution. Training
people to investigate and solve crimes will alleviate the
problem
Individuals can take preventive measures to stop crime
bv locking their homes or protecting themselves when
traveling. This is the most direct way of stopping potential
crimes.
Both increasing jail space and improving the police
force require money and will take time. Oregonians should
not hesitate to support these options, however, because our
lives may literally depend on it.
Portland and Oregon can be known as a liveable city
without the fear of crime if its citizens are willing to
recognize the reasons for crime and work to solve them.
MLCTWEHETH05E
CHILDREN DOING
IN SCHOOL? iNItr
COUNTED THE*
WOULD HAVE KEEN
intheabmy.
Letters
Limit weapons
The superpowers have agreed
finally to do something about
the arms race.
The treaty that would
eliminate Intermediate Nuclear
Forces (INF) in Europe is a
historical first step in arms con
trol. but it covers barely 4 per
cent of the immense nuclear
arsenal. The threat of global
destruction remains essentially
unchanged
Further deep reductions in
nuclear weapons are essential
for continued life on earth. En
ding nuclear weapons tests
through a Comprehensive Test
Ban Treaty (CTB) is for now the
best way to slow the nuclear
arms race because it freezes the
development of new weapons,
including the destablizing Star
Wars chimera.
Both sides could halt testing
right now while they negotiate
the details of the INF treaty.
Purposeful negotiations for a
balance and reduction of con
ventional weapons have to
follow Too many of the world's
resources are devoured by the
military moloch.
The House of Representatives
already has voted to implement
many of the steps for arms
limitations, but the president
Oregon Daily
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has threatened to veto them.
Hob Pack wood canceled Sen.
Hatfield's vote four times by
voting for SOI funding, against
the SALT II threaty limit,
against a continued bilateral
ban of Anti-Satallite weapons
(ASAT), a part of Star Wars, and
against Hatfield's own amend
ment to severely limit nuclear
weapons testing that drives the
arms race. Pack wood voted
with the majority for a conser
vative interpretation of Anti
Ballistic Missile treaty (ABM),
thus barring SDI tests that
would violate this treaty.
The Senate joined the House
on this issue in limiting, for
now. another frightful spiral in
the arms race.
As local representatives of a
worldwide group of physicians
who received the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1985 for public educa
tion on the dangers of nuclear
arms, we express our thanks
and graditude to Sen. Hatfield
and to our Rep. Peter DeFazio
for their commitment to peace
and stability.
Hans U. Tscheraich. M.D.
President. Physicians for
Social Rasposibility
Eugene chapter
Generalizations
This concerns Blake Louis
Sliter's letter pertaining to
Margaret Thompson's unfor
tunate bicycle accident (ODE,
Oct 14).
To generalize the Greek
system as a whole by saying that
the two men at question here
represent the entire Greek
system is not only absurd but is
a perfect example of the type of
Letter* Policy
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Letters to the editor mutt be
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closed mindedness that brings
about Greek'non-Greek clashes
I. as I’m sure the rest of the
Greek system does, take great
offense to your malicious
statements made in the
Emerald. "Tear their limbs from
their bodies and while they
writhe in agony eat some of
their flesh. .is quite a pro
found statement, but I feel it has
absolutely no justification.
The Greek system has no
desire to start trouble with the
non-Greek population on cam
pus, and to come to verbal
blows is no solution to this pro
blem. What I suggest is that Mr
Sliter and his proponents take a
good objective look at the Greek
system on the inside, and avoid
using the actions of two men to
pass judgement on all of us.
Then. AND ONLY THEN, can
Mr. Sliter justify such a verbal
assault.
Frank Hanson
Sophomore
Keep the space
My hats off in praise and ap
preciation to Frale de Guzman
and Shelly Kehin for their ex
cellent and informative articles
on Womenspace.
It certainly was refreshing to
see two articles on such an im
portant organization. Unfor
tunately, domestic violence and
other forms of violence against
women are all too common in
this largely patriarchal society
we live in. and people need to
know that places such as
Womenspace exist (even
though it is such a sad thing
that there is such a need for
them).
1 also would like to say
"thank you” to the woman who
shared her experience as a trap
ped and haltered woman in a
destructive relationship.
It's great to know that she is
devoting most of her time to
other women in the same
situation.
Keep up the good work! The
woman's movement needs all
the press it can get.
Amy Brickell
English