Policing improves neighborhood
— Four
littered
ng pro
ne m of
gh the
drivers
r ht>fore
responding to colls for help.
"Iris Court was a hell hole." police Officer Dave
Grady recalls
Today, the low-income housing project on the
city 's north side is a model of cairn. Trim lawns,
hods of mums and marigolds, park hern lies and
playground equipment dot the 45-unit complex.
"It's just an entirely different place," said Tabor,
a retired nurse near 80. "Now. I feel safe."
Residents say the credit goes to the Portland
Police Bureau's c ommunity policing program, sim
ilar to what President Bill Clinton and Congress
hope will spread nationwide with the help of
thousands of extra officers.
The Senate authorized $8 9 billion to put
100.000 community police officers on the streets
over five years. The Mouse authorized $3.45 bil
lion for 50,000 more police over six years The dif
ferences in the legislation should be reconciled
early next year.
Under the Portland program, officers work city
wide with residents to reduce crime and steer chil
dren away from drugs and gangs. They work with
schools, social service agencies, neighborhood
associations and volunteers. Officers get out of
their patrol cars and walk beats.
Before community policing came to ins Court,
the housing project had 208 crimes from 1989-90,
including a total of 98 drug violations, assaults and
gang crimes.
"We just lived in fear," Tabor said.
After community policing took over, total
crimes dropped to just 94 for 1991 Then in 1992,
the tally fell to 74. Overall, there were 8,084
crimes against people in Portland in 1989 and
8.390 in 1992.
Change at the project started in late 1990, when
looking for drugs
PORT!.AND (AP)
years ago. syringes I
Sav ilia Tabor's housi
joct A constant sir
cars flowed throu)
neighborhood, their
Police donned riot gent
polii e barricaded one end of the main street bor
dering Iris Court to block drive-through traffic
With the help of residents and volunteers, they
tore out all the shrubs and bushes where attac k
ers might hide They evu ted residents who dealt
drugs They built playgrounds for i hildren.
And Grady was assigned to walk the area, con
spicuously in uniform.
On a recent late fall day. residents of Iris Court
waved from their doorways as Cradv walked
through the one-story brick complex Tabor
emerged from her apartment to give the officer a
hug. a smile and a promise that she's going to hake
him more cookies real soon
Community policing, however, is not without its
i ritics
Larry Hoover, criminal justice professor at Sam
Houston State University in Huntsville. Texas,
said the approach is too close to community c on
trol by authorities.
"Taken to its logic al conclusion, community
policing puts the police in the role of community
managers." Hoover said It leads to ignoring the
c entral mission of the police, which is crime con
trol.
"You've got officers taking kids to the zoo
instead of tracking down violent parole abscon
ders." he said.
But jane Rosevear disagrees As projec I c oordi
nator for the Mvc ap Portsmouth Leadership Club
at Portsmouth Middle Sc bool in Portland. Rose
vear knows firsthand that community pole mg c an
keep children out of trouble
"If somebody wouldn't have stepped into tin
life!. | wouldn’t lie here. " she said
Portland got a head start on its community
policing program bec ause a proliferation of neigh
borhood associations already existed The assoc i
ations wore set tip in the 1970s is part of a model
c ities program. Today, thev work with police offi
cers.
"It has to he community and police working
together," said J.W Friday, a community liaison
between polic e and Iris Court residents
Panel hopes to remove lobbyists
OLYMPIA (AP) — Lobbies
may be for lobbyists, but a mar
bled lobby between the House
and Senate should lie cleared of
lobbyists' telephones, furniture,
message desk and copy
machine, a special commission
on ethics says.
Others retorted Tuesday that
lobbyists aro important consul
tants to lawmakers trying to
make laws and are easy to find
in their third-floor headquarters,
called "Ulcer Gulch.”
The spacious corridor — pro
vided free to the lobbyists’ asso
ciation, "The Third House” —
sometimes resembles a cocktail
party when jammed with jabber
ing lobbyists.
It's a good place to be when
the House and Senate are meet
ing behind the big wood doors
at each end.
"This is really a symbolic
issue," said Mary Kay Becker, a
member of the state Commission
on Ethics and Government The
panel, formed by the 1093 Leg
islature and Gov. Mike Lowry, is
forging an entire package of pro
posals to improve ethics and
public trust in politics. It hopes
to finish next week.
"This is symbolic of the dom
ination of the process by paid
lobbyists and organized special
CORRECTION
A commentary published
in the Nov. 23 Emerald
incorrectly stated the Emer
ald's corporate mission
The statement should have
read that the “sole and
exclusive purpose of this
nonprofit corporation is to
provide education and train
ing for University of Oregon
students in all aspects of
newspaper operation
through production of an
independent student news
paper."
interests," she said.
Clearing the lobbyists' para
phernalia from the lobby "would
really send a good message that
the Legislature is the people's
Legislature," Becker added The
former Bellingham lawmaker, a
Democrat, said the idea is just a
preliminary recommendation to
the Legislature.
The state Senate rejected a
similar idea in the late 1980s,
when it was suggested by House
Clerk Alan Thompson He
applauded the ethics panel, say
ing the presence of a lobbying
headquarters in the corridor is
"inappropriate.”
"Some people see them there
and have the feeling it isn't a
seemly use of the Capitol Rotun
da. I mean, time has marched on
from the days when they
worked out of coat pockets,"
said Thompson, who retires
next month.
Lobbyists now have cellular
phones and beepers and don’t
need all the impedimenta in the
hallway.
But lobbyists and others argue
that their presence in the north
lobby benefits everybody
Debbie Gjerde, manager of the
Third House, said the facility is
used by lobbyists representing
such disparate groups as
women’s rights advoi .ites and
power companies
"They're not all Honings and
hig business." she said
"1 don't care where you put
the (headquarters) — down
stairs, in Tacoma — it is not
going to prevent anyone from
gathering in the public a< cess of
the building, and we're certain
ly going to gather where we can
talk to legislators," Gjerde said
Gjerde also challenged the
assumption that lobbyists have
more access to lawmakers than
the average citizen does
"I've heard some of our mem
bers say they feel like they're
getting crowded out by the gen
eral public." she said "I've seen
regular citizens pull their legis
lators out of the i handlers by
sending in a note just like lob
byists do. Citizens are being
more sophistiuited all the time "
Sen. Sid Snyder, D-I.ong
Hem ll. sees the proposal as well
meaning but ultimately silly
"Wo have to talk to lobbyists
Sometimes they have informa
tion we need." he said.
And lobbyists represent ordi
nary citizens. Snyder said "If
you're a member of a labor union,
a consumer, a poor person or any
whatever," you’ve got a lobby
ist somewhere in that crowd.
MUllNinS
Overraler* Anonymous will conduct »
gratitude meeting today from 12 10 to I 30
p tu in the parlor of Kntnonu Center New
comers are welcome Feel free to bring
MISCKU.ANMH’S
Outdoor Program will show a video on
Columbia tiorgr windsurfing titled St ream
mg Water* tmlav at 12 lOp in in Room 17.
1 Ml I basement (behind the video arcade)
Par more information, call MM365
Student government will have a gr>*v*(M «•
table today from 9 a rn to 3 p m m the FMl'
lobby For more information, call 146-3160
Career Planning and Placement Service
announces tfeast the U S Marine Corps will
have 4 table today from 10 a m to 2 p m in
the KM I
Alpha Lambda l>alta has application*
available lor a $3X100 graduate fellowship lor
member* In Hooin 3f>4 Otajoo Mull The
application* should be returned to Koger
Morn* tn l)w 7
I ugrnr Pvsrjworki will have a {*<ai eful
demonstration against (ho telling and giving
of war toys this Thank*gi\mg weekend at
Toy* K U» ai rot* from Valiev Kiver (Center
Protesters can unde at (loot) On Nov 26 ami
27 with ideas For more information, « alt
Thorn at J4JB54#
Deadline for uihtnilltng t.l Alt to the
Lmeraid front detk. iuile 300 t'-hil'. it noon
the day before publication I t Alt run the
day of the rvrnf unlett the event tain pla< e
before noon
D iscowr a whole new world. A
world of soaring skylights. Where
rainbows of color dance. Where
woodland greenery lines spacious
walkways. And the atmosphere is
charged with anticipation.
Discover this new world for
yourself: Valley River Center.
We’re ready for your
Holiday shopping!
selected
items with N
student I.D.
524 Valley River Center * 345-9437
c
3
O
o
i
llllffl'tlWI'IMHIil mil
Now you ran afford your dream car.
We have over 50 models of the world’s most
POPULAR and EXQUISITE AUTOMOBILES,
EXACT REPLICAS, die casi metal, intricate
working parts, baked enamel finish, scale LIS.
PERFECT FOR DESK. DEN OR COFFEE TABLE.
“Much More Thao
A Cutlery Store”
The Perfect Gifts For Christmas
j Free Gift Wrapping
X
■€\ca(tbur
CU I t.h RY
«. G I H TS
We ship anyw here in the
U.S.A. or Canada
Valley River Center
687-0872