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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 11, 1981)
. . K For the children o f Atlanta and fo r all children who are hungry, suffer and live in fear. □ * Black voters to picket Senator McCoy residence Com m unity reaction to the M c Coy Amendment adopted by the Senate Committee on Government Operations was sharp and angry. The amendment changes the reap portionm ent plan adopted by the House, to dilute the Black voting strength in the district designated by the House as D is tric t 18. This district, as adopted by the House, would have a population 44 per cent Black. The d is tric t as redrawn by Senator William McCoy, Jr. divides the A lbina community at Fremont and decreases the percentage o f Black residents in the resulting district. McCoy lives in St. Johns and his current Senate district includes the predominately white St. Johns and a p o rtio n o f the Black com m unity roughly north o f Fremont and west of Union, with some sections exten ding as far east as 15th. Including the new House District 18 within his district would increase the percen tage o f Black in his district and this is the reason seen for his move to change the House plan. Ronnie Herndon, co-chairman of the Black United Front, called for a picket o f M cC oy’ s home on Sun day, June 14th at 2:00 p.m. Hern don said M cC oy’ s move sets a historical precedent. “ You w ill not find an historical example o f groups dividing themselves to gam power.” “ Divide and conquer” techniques have been used to oppress ethnic minorities but “ the oppressed never use this against themselves.’ ’ A ll minority groups recognize that they have to unite to consolidate their power. An example recently cited by W illiam Rasberry in his syndicated column carried by the Oregonian is that o f Senator Doug W ilder, the only Black member o f the Virginia State Senate, who is fig h tin g to prevent gerrymandering attempts in his state. The N A A C P and the AC LU are challenging a plan that w ould divide areas w ith predom inately Black populations and add them to largely white d istricts “ making it almost im possibly d iffic u lt fo r blacks to in crease their current representation . .. in the state house.” The plan adopted by the Oregon House was the result o f community participation. At a forum sponsored by the Observer and numerous com m unity organizations, fo u r plans were presented and discussed. A t the request o f Lucious H icks, president of the NAACP, Portland Branch, the House Com m ittee on Elections and R eapportionm ent held a form al hearing in King Neighborhood Facility. Hicks, who said his organization had not studied the issue enough to make p recommendation, said they w ould te stify at the hearing and would support community opinion. Overw helm ing support was ex pressed by in d ivid u a ls and organizations who testified at the House hearing. The N A A C P did not o ffe r testimony and submitted no w ritten testimony to the House or the Senate. Members o f the Senate Committee on Government A ffairs have indicated that McCoy claimed the support o f the NAACP fo r his plan. Hicks is out o f town and unavailable fo r comment, but members o f the Executive Board in dicate there has been no discussion o f the plan. Senator McCoy did not attend the public forum or the House hearing in the com m unity. “ I suggest he visit the Black com m unity to see what the people w a n t,’ ’ Herndon said, pointing out that although the BUF has held weekly com m unity meetings on a va rie ty o f serious issues for the past three years, Mc Coy has never been in attendence. "T h is charade has gone on long enough,” he said. "M cC oy does not represent the Black community; he doesn’t represent the interests o f the Black community.” Why did McCoy request that the district be changed? "H e is afraid of Black people. He is afraid o f what an organized Black community w ill (Please turn to page 10 col. 1) PORTLAND OBSERVER June 11,1981 Volum« XI Number 34 25< Per Copy USPS 959-680-855 Dedication to education of youth By Herb Cawthorne Boise Student Cindy Jackson is presented the Portland O bserver Jou rn alism T ro p h y, aw ard ed each year to the outstanding m em ber of the staff of the school new spaper, Boise Speaks. Present ing the trophy is Cleo Franklin of the O bserver, w h ile Principal Dave M cC rea and new spaper ad visor Beth Nance w atched w ith pride. The aw ard is based on a c a d e m ic e x c e lle n c e , p a rtic ip a tio n and service. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) An Open Letter tothe community By Konald K. Still Chief o f Police I am writing this as an open letter to the citizens o f Portland but also more specifically citizens o f the Black com m unity o f P ortland. Since my appointment as Chief o f Police on June I, 1981, there has been a great deal o f speculation about my concerns for problems in the Albina community. I would like to begin by telling you a little bit about myself. I was born in Portland, attended Benson High School. I am married and have three children I spent three years in the U.S. Coast Guard and after joining the Portland Police Bureau in 1954, I have attended Portland C om m unity College and received both a bachelor’ s degree and a master’ s degree from the University o f Portland in the A dm inistration o f Criminal Justice. Since my appointment as a police o ffic e r, w orking as a un ifo rm patrolman, detective, sergeant, and then as a commander o f various divisions within the Police Bureau, I have spent much time in the Albina community. One o f the major con cerns that we have in our current adm inistration is re-establishing good communications and relations w ith the com m unity living in A lbina. I intend to w ork hard at doing this by talking but more im p o rta n tly listening to the com munity. I have already begun meeting with several citizens in the com m unity that I know personally. Some w ill guess that the people I know are The youth d rill team, Portland Stars and Stripes, won a first place award in the Junior Rose Festival Parade. W atch fo r this talented group at the Grand Floral Parade on Saturday! — ■ ........................................................................ older and not o f the current generation. I hope this, along with other speculation, w ill be kept in check. I intend to talk to a broad spectrum o f people and hopefully develop policies and programs that w ill both im prove policing and develop a better community as well as improve community relations. I would like to work towards reducing the long-standing concerns A lb in a residents have expressed towards narcotics, p ro s titu tio n , burglary, and robbery. At the same time, the subject o f balancing that effort with peoples’ civil rights. Gn June 4, 1981, I placed into ef fect the following policy statement. This statement is designed fo r the protection o f the com m unity but w ill be a baseline statement to all Bureau personnel during my ad ministration. The policy statement has been read at all the Roll Calls and posted on all the bulletin boards and I have personally visited o f ficers throughout the Bureau per sonally asking them to fo llo w not only the letter but the intent o f this policy. “ For many years, the mission statement o f the Portland Police Bureau included our obligation to provide three types o f protection: protection of persons, protection of property and protection o f c iv il rights. “ A ll members are expected to main tain a sustained and dedicated effort to assure the peace and safety o f everyone who lives, works in or visits our City. We must vigorously enforce the law. We must reverse the trend o f rising crime and fear. “ As we strive to protect persons and their property, however, we must always balance these efforts against our duty to protect civil rights. In a free society such as ours, police actions must never be at the cost o f depriving anyone o f the rights guaranteed to them under the (E d ito r’ s Note: The follow ing is the fu ll text o f a speech by Herb Caw thorne, delivered at The A n nual Dinner o f The Urban League o f P ortland, “ In H onor o f Vern Chatm an,” Director o f Education and Youth Incentives, The Urban League of Portland.) The spiritually u p liftin g Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois wrote in 1914 words which can be said to have set the background for the life ’ s work o f the man whom we honor this evening. Du Bois w rote, “ ...W e must carefully understand the age in which we live; above all, we must realize that this is an age o f tremen dous a c tiv ity ; that today no race which is not prepared to put forth the fu ll might o f its ca refully developed powers can hope to main tain itself as a world power. Gn one p o in t, therefore, there can be no question - no hesitation: unless we develop our fu ll capabilities, we cannot survive.” G ur quest to develop our fu ll capabilities depends on leadership with vision, spirit, and commitment to education. These words fit Vern Chatman like a perfectly tailored suit. Vern Chatman has a devotion to a vision. It is his perception o f Black potential and w orth that is the driving force behind his tireless ac tiv itie s over these many years. Vern’ s vision is deepened by an ap preciation o f a history fu ll o f in credible hardships and amazing triu m p h . His clear eyes discover daily the beauty o f that which Dr. Du Bois offered as truth long ago: ‘ ...For three long centuries white people lynched Negroes who dared to be brave, raped Black women who dared to be virtuous, crushed dark-hued youth who dared to be am bitious, and encouraged and made to flourish servility and lewd ness and apathy. But not even this was able to crush all the manhood and chastity and aspiration from Black folk. A saving remnant con tinually survives and persists, con tinually aspires, continually shows its e lf in th r ift and a b ility and character. Exceptional it is to be sure, but this is the prom ise; it shows the ca p a b ility o f Negro blood, the prom ise o f Black men and women.” To this vision o f trium ph, Vern adds a vernerable spirit. Vern has an essential, pervading quality which excites, rouses, encourages, and motivates all those w ith whom he comes in contact. The Chatm an spirit knows no time; it knows no sex; it knows no age; it knows no color; it knows no handicap. He is the bridge o f the soul. As such, Vern Chatman links the old with the new. The wisdom o f the years is merged with the youthful challenge o f today and, through Vern Chat man, our young people have obsor- bed without fanfair the solidness o f the past and the excitement o f the future. The Chatman spirit speaks - VERN C H A T M A N it needs no references; it needs no loud music; it needs no slide show; it needs no preaching He stands before the young and, before he speaks, they understand his spirit. They accept him as history. His graceful toughness challenges them. They seek his counsel. And they believe him when he tells them over (Please turn to Page 10 ( ol I ) BUF sponsors police legislation The Oregon Association o f Chief o f Police and the Oregon Peace O f ficers Association have joined the Black U nited F ront and the National Lawyers Guild in sponsor ing legislation to lim it the authority o f police to use “ deadly physical force.” C urrent laws allows police o f ficers to shoot and k ill felons who are fleeing from the police. This in cludes not only a person who is fleeing the scene o f a crim e, and therefore is a suspect, but a person who is jaded for a misdemeanor and escapes, thereby a u tom atically becoming a felon. The law allows a police officer to CHIEF RON STILL co n stitu tio n . A ll members o f the Police Bureau w ill be held account able to this policy.” I hope this letter relives some con cerns whether real or speculated, on the part o f the Albina community. We badly need to communicate our goals to each other. We w ill make every effort to do so on my part. (E d ito r's Note: C h ie f S till w ill be present at the Observer’s police/ community relations forum on June 20th at Bourbon Street Restaurant, 9:30 am . During the last forum, the Police Bureau was asked to present plans to improve police work in Albina. Among the com plaints addressed were: excessive force, lack o f train ing, lack o f Black officers, and the complaint process.) shoot a person he believes to be threatening to kill or seriously injure himself (the officer) or another per son. The new law would allow an o f ficer to shoot only to save a life, he could not shoot a fleeing felon un less that person had just committed a crime or attempted to com m it a crim e using or threatening to use deadly physical force, and he evidences a threat to kill or seriously injure the officer or another person. The o ffic e r w ould have the discretion to shoot if he believes this person’ s escape w ould cause im mediate danger to others. Currently the law allows a police County considers emergency rule The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners has under consider ation an amendment to a current ordinance that would provide pen alties for disobeying an order by the S h e riff to leave an area dclcared closed because o f an emergency situation. Chief Charles Fessler, Operations Branch o f the County, Division o f Public Safety, explained that the current ordinance allows the County Executive, or in his absence, the Sheriff, to close an area in response to an emergency. This ordinance has been used sparingly, only three times in recent years; the United Airlines crash when it was necessary to keep bystanders from danger and protect the crash scene fo r in vestigators; the sniper situation at the Ringside; and a sniper at the air p o rt. In the latter case, the scene was closed to keep citizens out o f the danger area The county ordinance only allows an area to be closed when an in cident has happened - a natural disaster; an accident such as a wreck involving hazardous gases; a civil disorder as defended by law. It must be declared by the Executive O f ficer, in this case, Don C lark, and only if there is danger to persons or property. It d iffe rs fro m the new C ity o f P ortland ordinance that allows a police sergeant to declare an emergency if he believes a serious situation might develop. “ A police officer could not drive by a park and sec people milling around, decide there might be 4 4 o ffic e r to shoot when a person is fleeing the scene o f kidnap, arson, escape I, burglary I, or the attempt to commit one o f these crimes. If a person is seen running from a home and the o ffic e r believes a robbery has been com m itted, he can shoot and kill. If a person steals more than $200, he is a felon and can be shot. The b ill was introduced at the request o f the Black United Front after a study o f practices and policies o f the P ortland Police Bureau. Sixty percent o f all police shootings, in the last ten years, were o f Blacks. Senate B ill 528 is in the Senate Judiciary Committee. » ■ ' ’ • trouble, and close the park,” Fessler explained. The area closed is lim ited to the area the Sheriff belives necessary to protect persons and property, and not to lim it the “ ob se rva tio n " o f the public. The ordinance says after an emergency area has been declared, the Sheriff can: regulate movement to and fro m the area; lim it or prohibit movement within the area; move property in the area; evacuate persons whenever and to the extent that the Sheriff finds human lives or property are endangered; enter into private property to prevent or m im inize danger to lives or p ro perty. The S h e riff can barricade streets and reaulate traffic (Kleaseturn to rage iu l o i I)
