novembe/ 17.2000 »
25
"Iwant
all Portlanders
to know that now more than ever
I am committed to bringing
the police closer to the community
as well as building deeper respect
and understanding inside
Gay leaders outline concerns
the organization."
and complaints
— Portland Police Chief
T op T en
Mark Kroeker
those speeches were insulting, hateful, divisive
and totally inappropriate for a law enforcement
officer to make,” the group wrote to him.
Katz said Kroeker has repudiated his feelings
and at least some of the statements on the
recordings.
Resignation called for
inker rushed to the podium during Katz’s
press conference when the mayor stepped
out of the room after finishing her statement.
She didn’t want to miss her opportunity to
address the city— every news outlet was there
and willing to listen.
Tinker said she isn’t so distressed about
Kroeker’s 10-year-old comments hut is upset
about his response to the situation. “A good
man doesn’t refuse to take responsibility about
his words distributed throughout the world.”
But Tinker and others are not just upset
about Kroeker’s comments concerning gays and
women. He also spoke in support of corporal
punishment with children, even describing in
detail how he used to paddle teen-agers with
boat oars at a summer camp.
Tinker said what Kroeker described in the
tape titled “Family Discipline” would be consid
ered illegal in the state of Oregon. “This cannot
be explained by one’s religion.”
Kroeker admitted speaking about the issue
T
of paddling teens with boat oars but insisted
that he must have misspoken during the
speech and that he personally never has used
that form of discipline on any child. “I do
believe he strives to be a good man,” Tinker
conceded, “hut a good man doesn’t lie.”
Although more than one group is asking
for Kroeker to step down or to be fired, he has
significant support in and outside the gay
community. “You can’t hold people account
able for what they said nine, 10, 15 years
ago,” one woman said during the November
meeting of the Sexual Minorities Round
table, a joint venture between the Portland
Police Bureau and the sexual minorities com
munity advocating for increased communica
tion and safety.
After Katz’s announcement, Kroeker said he
was pleased to retain the support of his boss.
“I have spent many personal hours reflecting
on the enormity of the current crisis,” he wrote
in a statement. “I want all Portlanders to know
that now more than ever I am committed to
bringing the police closer to the community as
well as building deeper respect and understand
ing inside the organization."
Caught in the middle
T
he Sexual Minorities Roundtable grappled
with its role in the controversy during a
he Police Chief Concerns Group, a consor
tium of gay and lesbian leaders, wrote a
two-page letter to Mayor Vera Katz asking for
Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker’s resigna
tion or dismissal. These are excerpts of their 10
concerns:
packed meeting Nov. 14 at the Portland Police
1. Anti-gay bias: “Kroeker’s comments
Bureau’s downtown headquarters.
about homosexuality and AIDS made in 1989
Christopher Webster, a member of the group clearly reflect a profound bias.”
for almost three years, said the gay and lesbian
2. Child abuse: “Kroeker’s comments about
community deserves to meet face to face with disciplining children indicate that he toler
Kroeker. He said he hoped the roundtable ates—and even encourages— violence against
wouldn’t take sides in the controversy but children.”
would be the neutral party that would encour
3. Submission of women: “His comments
age communication.
that women need to submit to thS authority of
Another member, Elizabeth Allen, said she
their husbands...reflect a deep belief that
supported the two sides coming together for a women are not equal.”
communitywide training session about how to
4 . Views were express as public policy:
communicate. She wants both sides to be able “They were made at a public meeting of police
to meet and act in a civil way.
officers, and he was speaking as an officer of the
Others who showed up spoke out about
law.”
accountability and expressed their distur
5. N o apology, no change: “Kroeker has
bance concerning Kroeker’s comments. Some
issued no statement saying his original
asked to have the situation on the next meet views.. .were wrong and that he regrets them.”
ing’s agenda so more discussion can take
6.
H ate speech encourages hate crim es:
place.
“Kroeker’s original comments constitute
Katz said Kroeker is committed to a “strong untruthful bias; these comments.. .encourage
and sustained positive dialogue” with Portland’s crimes of violence against lesbian, gay, bi and
citizens, although she admitted he will have to trans people.”
rebuild trust with many of them. “He told me he
7. Bias not disclosed in hiring interviews:
would rather help undo the damage, help me “If he had been forthcoming with this informa
promote tolerance and acceptance of all people,
tion, we do not believe he would have been
than just walk away.”
offered the job.”
Katz expects Kroeker will “redouble his
8.
D enial of responsibility affects job
efforts to promote respect and acceptance of perform ance: “They impact the public per
all Portlanders.” In addition, she said he will formance o f his job as chief of police.”
work with Cascade AIDS Project, the state’s
9. U se o f force by police: “The new use of
largest HIV/AIDS social service agency, to physical force is consistent with Kroeker’s
help educate Oregonians that AIDS is not a view that ‘criminal justice should mirror fam
“gay disease.”
ily justice.’ ”
“He agrees to take all this on with all his
10. Portland feels un safe: “Many lesbian,
heart,” Katz said.
gay, bi and trans people no longer feel safe in
Portland. They do not trust police officers to
JONATHAN K ipp is a Just Out staff reporter who
offer protection from anti-gay violence.”
can be reached at jldpp@teleport.com.
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