Portland Observer. September 10.1W1 Pape 3
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I
Dick Bogle
INTERESTING
FACTS
Brought To You Every W eek
Street prostitution in the A lb in a
area is flourishing and the criminal
justice system seems unable to han
dle it.
Fore the past 20 years, I ’ve been a
close observer o f what goes on in the
streets, first as a police officer and
then as a news reporter. It seems to
me that the past year has brought an
increase o f street hookers on North
east Union and North Interstate like
I ’ve never seen before. A ll this has
negative effects on the quality o f life
in the area.
O f course current economic con-
ditins have a direct and dire effect
on crime. Prostitution and pimping
are crimes and are going v irtu a lly
unpunished.
Before we jum p in and blame the
police fo r not caring about the
neighborhood, lets look at some sta
tistics.
In 1980 police made 601 arrests o f
both men and women in p ro stitu
tion related cases. W hat happens to
those cases is quite interesting.
N in ety-tw o o f them were juveniles
and thus handled by juvenile court.
The district attorney’s office did not
issue complaints against 50 others.
In those cases it could have been
the evidence was too shakey for a
possible conviction or maybe some
o f them agreed to cooperate with
authorities in other crim in al m at
ters.
Sixty had their cases dismissed, 32
cases are s till pending, 13 were
found not g u ilty , 70 were found
guilty o f a reduced charge, 134 were
no-shows in court and have w ar
rants outstanding and 182 were
found guilty.
O f those 182, 13 were sentenced
to some ja il time. Eight others were
given credit for time already served.
So out o f an o rig in a l 601 in ci
dents, only 13 defendants made
their way to jail.
I don't, and hardly anyone in the
criminal justice system believes ev-
ery7 hooker should be sentenced to
ja il i f found g u ilty. But I did talk
with several hookers who told me if
they actually thought ja il was a pos
sible consequence fo r th e ir acts,
they would either quit the business
or leave Portland for another city.
I f the law is to be a deterrent, then
punishment must be a realistic pos
sibility. But these statistics certainly
indicate real punishment is lacking.
Some other figures indicate that
the police are not ignoring prostitu
tion in N o rth and Northeast P o rt
land. D uring 1980, there were 386
arrests on Orand and Union Aven
ues and N o rth Interstate. The sec
ond highest total o f 179 arrests were
in downtown Portland in the South
west Third and Salmon area.
W h a t this all means is that the
hookers can act like they own the
streets and it also means that any
woman, white or Black who leaves
her home to go to the store is a tar
get for the numerous Johns cruising
the area and who in the heat o f their
passion are unable to tell the differ
ence between housewife and hustler.
It means something else, too. Be
cause Union Avenue and Interstate
Avenues have neighborhood side
streets im m ed iately adjaceht to
them, the prostitutes are using those
sueets too. In many cases those side
streets have become bedroom s—
bedrooms many times w ith open
doors and windows for anyone and
everyone to hear and see what’s go
ing on.
Many folks who heretofore were
able to ignore p ro s titu tio n as the
oldest profession and perhaps even
as a necessary evil are now up in
arms when they and their children
are daily witnesses to sex fo r sale
virtually in their front yards.
Next week, a look at why it is the
way it is and what some c rim in a l
justice system professionals plan to
do.
Nelson Johnson, a Black activist,
was sentenced to serve 20 days this
month in the G u ilfo rd County Jail
for challenging the U.S. Justice De
partment and local officials to end
its conspiracy in connection with the
Morningside Massacre on Novem
ber 3, 1979. The case o f Nelson
Johnson is representative o f the lack
o f human rights and real justice that
exists in this nation today.
To comprehend what is at stake in
the Johnson case, a short history o f
recent po litical struggles in N o rth
Carolina is necessary. On November
3, 1979, nine carloads o f Nazis and
Ku Klux Klansmen invaded a hous
ing project in Greensboro, N o rth
C a ro lin a , where a group o f Black
and white community residents were
holding an a n ti-K ia n dem onstra
tion. In a deliberate execution, the
Klan and Nazis killed five people,
fo u r whites and one B la ck — all
members o f a leftist organization,
the C om m unist W o rkers P arty.
Johnson was assaulted during the
a ttac k, receiving severe kn ife
wounds on both arms. When local
police finally arrived. Johnson was
arrested “ for inciting to rio t” be
cause he was speaking to the demon
strators. Eventually, only six Klans
men and Nazis were ever tried for
the m urders. O n N ovem ber 17,
1980, the white racists were acquit
ted of all charges in North Carolina
state court. A federal agent, Ber
nard Butkovich, is proven to have
been present at racist meetings when
the N ovem ber 3rd m urders were
planned— but was never indicted.
Johnson was eventually charged
with felony riot on M ay 2, 1980, and
bond was set at $ 15 ,00 0 . Three
months later, the district attorney
dem anded that an ad d itio n al
$100,000 bond be held against John
son. By comparison, the Klan/Nazis
were charged with bonds o f between
$4,000 to $52,000. The excuse given
for the riduculously high bond was
Johnson's continued political acti
vities, such as appearing at a
Greensboro C ity Council meeting
on July 31, 1980, le a fle ttin g the
chamber prior to (he meeting.
At the bond hearing on August 6,
1980, Johnson politely requested the
right to speak in his own behalf.
When Johnson finally attempted to
ta lk , the judge found him in con
tempt o f court. Five sheriffs depu
ties seized Johnson, dragging him
out o f the c o u rtro o m . Though
handcuffed, the deputies struck his
head on the floor. Johnson was sent
to the m agistrate’ s o ffice and was
held in jail overnight, charged with
assaulting the deputies. I ater, this
assault charge was dismissed. On
August 7, the next day, the judge
sentenced Johnson to spend 20 days
in ja il for contempt o f court, even
though the o rig in a l bond m otion
that had brought him into court had
just been dropped.
Johnson appealed the contempt-
of-court decision without avail. On
June 16, 1981, the N orth C arolina
Court o f Appeals denied his appeal.
On July 24, the North Carolina Su
preme C o u rt ordered Johnson to
serve 20 days in jail. Johnson vowed
to go on a hunger strike for the du-
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ration o f his imprisonment.
Shortly before he entered the jail,
Johnson observed, “ I take my
stand. M y w ill is unbroken. It will
Four state capitals are named after U .S . Presidents
- J a c k s o n , M is s ., J e fferso n C ity, M o ., Lin co ln ,
Neb., and Madison, Wts.
•
Orville W right, one of the inventors of the airplane,
NEVER traveled by airplane the last 33 years o f his
life. W righ t had a nerve injury that caused him dis
comfort when he flew.
•
Policemen are called "cops” or "coppers” because
in the last c e n tu ry th ey o ften w o re big co p per
badges.
The first co-ed college in Am erica w as O berlin, in
Ohio, which admitted women in 1833.
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Justice on trial: the case of Nelson Jackson
by Manning Marable
A M E R IC A N STA TE B A N K
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not be broken because I have confi
dence in the justice and power o f the
people. The court is a lie. The truth
will pievail.”
. ~ 20 IDEAS UNDER
$20 TO HELP YOG SAVE
ENERGY AT HONE.
Ev cn if you ve already
done many of the big expen--
sive jobs to w eathenze^our
house, there are still loTs of
inexpensive little jobs you
can do to save even more
money all year long.
pipes with insulation. Cost:
where pipes and wiring enter
$2 50 for 12 feet of rubber flex the house. Cost: $6. Savings:
tubing and $1.59 for 25 feet of $4 to $19 a year.
insulation. Savings: Up to
15. Change incandes
$8 a year.
cent bulbs to fluorescent.
4. Fix a leaky bathroom Cost: $17 for each fluorescent
faucet. Cost: 50* for 6
fixture. Savings: $6 to $14 a
washers. Savings: Up to $19 a year.
year.
14. Replace high wat
5. Fix a leaky kitchen
tage incandescent bulbs with
faucet (washerless tvpe).
lower wattage bulbs. Cost:$l.
Cost: $3. Savings: Up to $19 a Savings: $1 to $7 a year.
year.
IX Use a warm water
6. Install low flow
wash and a cold rinse in your
shower restrictor. Cost: $5.50. washing machine. Cost: Free.
Savings: About $8 a year.
Savings: $13 to $25 a year.
7. Wrap electric heat
1#. When shaving, fill
ing ducts with insulation.
your sink with hot water in-
C<JSt.: X r t!™ear fo° L Sav' stead of letting the water nui.
ings: $40 to $100 a year.
Cost: Free.
8. Replace furnace fil
H Use your imagina
ters, clean and maintain.
tion. There are many little
Cost: 70* per filter. Savings:
jobs all over your house that
Up to $20 a year.
can save energy.
9t Lower your heating
20. Give us a call. Your
thermostat in winter and
local Pacific Power office is a
Dtni i gel nicked fcv hot water costs when vou'rr shaving
raise
it
in
the
summer.
Cost:
good
place to pick up free do-
Fill up your sink with hot water. instead of letting the
rnonev vou spend for hot water go down the dram.
Free. Savings: $12 to $100 a
it-yourself information and
year.
Here’s a list you can
our booklet on these ideas.
10. Install wall plug in
clip out and keep of some of
We can help. Just call
those jobs and how much you filtration gaskets on exterior
exterioi our office here in Portland at
can save by doing them.
walls. Cost: $1.50 for 10. Sav 238-2811.
11 you need “how-to”
ings: $4 to $15 a year.
I t Weatherstrip and
instructions, we have a free
caulk around exterior doors.
booklet available at your
Cost: $10. Savings: Up to $8*
local Pacific Power office.
a
year.
t Lower your water
12. Weatherstrip win
heater thermostat to 120°,
dows.
Cost: $125 for I aver
140° with a dishwasher. Cost
age double-hung window.
Free. Savings: $8 to $24 a
Savings: $4 to $12* a year.
year.
X Wrap water heater
13. Caulk around an ex
■with insulation. Cost: $20.
terior window frame. Cost:
Savings: $12 to $18 a year.
$6. Savings: $4 to $12* a year.
3. Wrap hot water
M. Caulk around holes
ja ck co o n ev
THE PEOPLE A T PACIFIC POWER
Et tergv soli tiiot t s. We can help.
Cost of material will vary depending where vou shop. So look for sales in the weatherization section o f a Home Improvement Center
or hardware store. Yearly dollar savings figures are approximate and will van- depending on vour energy use. These figures are
averages based
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J . ^ t L . t . ........aff
irsen , ce
arvtJS , , u> rht,
f' f()r ,w,
Savings indicated a n not
avenges
on an average dollar/kilowatt
in ,u
<
_______
___________
.. „.v„.
cumulative. *To make these savings, you must do all three jobs III. 12 A 13).
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