Page 2, Portland Observer, July 24, 1906
Harassment
Committee
recommendations
in sleeper hold
City Club hears
about Street Kids
by Landa Duke
Between 300 and 500 children eke
out an existence on the streets of
downtown Portland, according to
police and youth service agencies.
A t least two-tlurds o f the street
kids survive through prostitution.
Most o f their customers are adult
men. A majority o f the children are
between the ages of 14 and 20, al
though some 13-year-okLs and young
er show up on the street Their lives
are filled with drugs, crime, violence.
Suicide, rape and murder is not un
common.
Dr. Jennifer James, an expert on
homeless youth from Seattle, told the
Portland City Club last week to forget
about adult prostitution and concen
trate on helping the street kids.
The City Club stirred up a hornet’s
nest when it suggested that prostitu
tion be legalized within a red light
zone. James also favors legalization
of prostitution. She said trying to
deal with prostitution any other way
than leaving it alone, is like "trying to
nail a banana cream pie to the w all.”
The real tragedy on the streets is the
growing number o f homeless youth.
They arc there because they find bet
ter lives on the street than at home,
she told the club.
James, a former faculty member of
the University o f Washington M ed
ical School with a doctorate in cul
tural anthropology, conducted an his
toric survey o f young female prosti
tutes in Seattle in 1981 She found
that most had suffered sexual and
physical abuse, often beginning at a
very young age at home.
The important thing to remember
when dealing with the street kids is
that they are often driven to the streets
by intolerable conditions at home,
said James Moralizing and sending
them back home is not the answer.
"H o m e is not a place where these kids
can survive," but only a place where
they die inside, she said.
The minority of very young chil
dren on the street will come around
vice about drugs and pregnancy, and
help with food and shelter, " I f you
can't get them o ff to a group home,
keep them alive and healthy," she
said.
Another small minority o f "m a r
ginal kids" are likely to end up violent
sexual psychopaths and there's not
much anyone can do about it, ac
cording to James. She suggested giv
ing up optimism for some o f these
kids and put them behind bars with
long sentences and plenty of counsel
ing.
Most o f the street kids are in the
"room for movement group,” James
said. It's important that agencies and
social workers be there when these
kids inevitably come around to ask
for help, she said. "T hin k about a kid
who has been abused for four years;
it may take 14 to help him .”
James acknowledged the difficulty
for adults to admit that they haven't
been perfect parents. But adults
should also remember, she said, that
"the only thing you're walking away
from when you walk away from kids
on the street, is the quality o f your
own life.” She injected a note of
self-interest: “ I f these kids aren't tak
en care of, they're going to rip you
o ff.”
Attention should also be focused
on adults who victimize the street
kids. She called for a registration law
for sexual offenders. Abusing chil
dren can become a "lifetim e addic
tion,” and repeat offenders should be
registered and kept away from chil
dren by law, she said.
Police should adopt a quota system
o f arresting as many Johns as prosti
tutes, and vice squad members should
be rotated to other duty every three
months so they don't become “ dis
turbed people," James suggested.
She got a laugh when she told the
club that most rape, prostitution and
street crime could be eliminated by
putting a curfew on men.
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Table knives are a rather late innovation. Until
about 1000, diner» brought to the table their ow n
knives, which served as dagger» between meal».
firearms.” said the committee on
Police use o f force.
The committee consisted o f Rev.
Rodney Page, chairperson o f Ecu
menical Ministries of Oregon, Kernan
Bagle, U.S. Marshall. Herb Caw-
thome. President of the Urban 1 eague.
Carol Edmo, Commissioner from
Metropolitan Human Relations C om
mission. Fred Lenzser from the Dis
trict Attorney's office and Donald
Van Blaincon. Chief o f Bellevue,
Tha United Negro College Fund (UNCF) was recently the recipient
of a »26,000 donation from Adolph Coors Company Pictured, left to
right, are: Moeee Brewer. Coors assistant national program manager;
Dr. Chart«« Maredlth. praaident of tha Atlanta University System who
received the check on behalf of the UNCF; Marvin ' Swede'' Johnson.
Coors' vice preeldent of public relations; and Iven Burwell. Coors na
tional program manager.
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Days
On August 5 and August 9, 1985,
the Portland Freeze Coalition will
sponsor two programs for Hiroshima-
Nagasaki Days. This year marks the
40th anniversary o f the atomic bomb
ing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The
theme of the programs, " A commem
oration o f tragedy, a celebration of
hope,” reflects both the solemnity of
the occasion and the renewed hope
for peace in the world.
On Monday evening, August 5, the
festivities will begin at 6 p.m. at the
south end of W aterfront Park with a
picnic and performances by children.
The mam program begins at 7 p.m.
and will feature remarks by Pat
Broudy o f I.os Angeles, spokesperson
for the National Association of
Atomic Veterans and widow of M ajor
Chuck Broudy o f the U.S. Marine
Corps. The evening will also include
dancer
Ruby
Burns
performing
"Frontline Symphony,” remarks by
U.S. Congressman I.es AuCoin, and
other special guests.
On Friday afternoon, August 9, the
program will begin at noon in Pioneer
(.ixirthouse Square. A group of hi-
husushi. Japanese pe>T>lc who have
been affected by atomic radiation,
will talk about the need for world
peace and the abolition of nuclear
weapons Other special guests include
Ghanian master drummer Obo Addy
and a troupe of Native Americans
performing Chief Seattle’s Congres
sional address A children's program
of music, drama and story-telling will
also be included.
Both events are free and open to
the public. For more information,
contact Kay Reid at 222-0004
BUF community meeting
by Landa Duke
G R A S S R O O T N E W S . N .W . —
M ote than 300 Portlanders attended
a Black United Front community
meeting July 10th. The meeting was
attended by Police Chief Penny Har-
rington and M ayor Bud Clark to
question and probe and advance
recommendations to avoid police
actions that result in the death of
Afriv Americans in the Afro-American
community.
Questions sometimes were politely
combative while others were state
ments regarding attitudes of officers
who patrol Northeast Portland. The
Graves/Tate deaths occurred on the
heels of the Tony Stevenson tragedy,
in which an officer applied a sleeper
hold resulting in his death. Graves
was a mentally impaired adult who
became violent. Tate was the innocent
hostage. Both were shot by police.
One participant stated, " I ’m con
cerned about recent events. M y chil
dren no longer look at police as pro
tectors. They are regarded as the
oppressor."
Harrington withstood the sharp
ness of their questions and endured
boos only once when residents re
sponded to an answer regarding Mrs
Tate, an 86-year-old woman.
Harrington indicated that after the
officer shot her, thinking it was Graves
■
s
G R A S S R O O T N E W S , N .W . —
Purposely avoiding the issue of race
in the police application o f the carotid
(sleeper) hold, a citizen committee
recommended to Police Chief Penny
Harrington that the hold be used in
circumstances and situations where a
gun is required — deadly force.
"This recommendation places it on
the highest level, as with the use of
with tangible help, said James. They
need counseling, health services, ad
by Robert Lothian
(Continuedfrom Paye I, Col. 6/
retreating out the back door, he
thought he heard her moan
“ 1 can't tell you what’s inside the
officer's head. I can only tell you
what he thought he saw. And he
thought he saw Graves coming out
the back d oo r," responded Harring
ton to a question regarding the physi
cal differences between an 86-year-
old woman and a 37-year old man
Other questions from the audience
related to differences in police re
sponse in the Black community. Why
did officers not move in on Graves
earlier and why were back-up lights
not available?
Harrington said she was not in the
position nor did she have the infor
mation to compare police responses
She said officers on the scene thought
dry oxikl disarm and control Graves,
and any type o f lighting aggravated
Graves and made officers targets
Ronnie Herndon, co-chair o f the
BUF,
gathered
recommendations
from the audience. The BUF said the
Graves/Tate incident highlighted the
need for more Black officers. The
Front requested a national blue rib
bon panel to review Portland police
procedures and policies. They also
called for the city and the police to
meet and formulate procedures on
how to deal with the mentally im
paired when they become threatening
and violent.
Herndon also questioned the quali
fications o f one o f Graves’ negotia
tors, R. L. Anderson When Harnng
ton called him a "Reverend,” a choir
of chuckles arose from the audience.
It has been reported that Anderson
just walked upon the scene without
prior knowledge of Graves or the
Tate family.
Other recommendations advanced
Washington, police.
The committee was assembled at
the request o f Chief Harrington after
public concern over the sleeper hold
death of Tony Stevenson, a 3 1-year-
old Black security officer during a
public confrontation in Northeast
(Continued on Paye 10, Col. I )
Administration (O S H A ) to conduct a
workplace inspection
" I t is our opinion, based upon our
own sampling and V .A . records, that
employees working in the mainte
nance area o f the basement were not
given the required asbestos medical
exams. Nor were they given the op
portunity to wear assigned respira
tors in atmosphere to check the fit. . .
Employees were apparently working
in an area where there was a possibil
ity o f the release o f asbestos fibers
and no monitoring was performed by
the V . A , " noted W illiam Newman.
O S H A ’s area director in a letter dated
June 7, 1984
“ That really upset management,”
Wilkes said.
Thurston D . Muskell. National
Organizer for A F G E , said Wilkes
dilemma was not unique to Portland.
“ I t ’s happening more and more all
over the V .A . system. There is harass
ment o f union officials and employees
who speak out. Management is m ak
ing it difficult to participate in the
union," he added.
Muskell said management harasses
employees or union representatives
through lower level managers. "W h a t
happened to Sylena in Portland oc
curred only because she is efficient,
effective and dedicated.” Wilkes
said patterns o f harassment have also
focused on the union's vice-president
and secretary.
BUF calls for Dept, of
Justice investigation
by I anita Duke
G R A S S R O O T N E W S . N .W . —
Disappointed over the decision of the
District Attorney not to hold a public-
inquest into the Graves/Tate deaths,
the Black United Front called on the
Civil Rights division of the U.S. De
partment o f Justice to investigate
their deaths.
Tommy Graves and Mrs. Alberta
Tate were shot by police officers after
Graves, a mentally ill adult, sat on his
front porch and fired at police in a
six-hour seige.
“ Holding a public inquest was the
only way the public could learn all the
facts leading up to that tragedy,”
said Ron Herndon, co-chair o f the
Black United Front.
Among the questions asked by the
Front are: Why were officers given
orders to shoot when they could not
see their target? Why did Mrs. Tate
lay on her back porch bleeding for
an hour? W hy did an exchange of
gunfire occur when both individuals
in the house were down?
" A public inquest is the only forum
where you can subpoena those who
have the information as to what went
on,” Herndon said.
But District Attorney Michael
Schrunk disagrees. " In the Graves/
late case an inquest is inappropriate.
An inquest determines who died,
cause o f death and manner. All this is
known," said Schrunk.
“ It's a question o f policy and re
sources. Is the Portland Police De
partment properly equipped to handle
this new mentally ill population?,” he
asked.
Robert Phillips, chairperson of the
Greater Northeast Police Precinct
Council, said a public inquest was a
“ worthless sort of activity because it
has no power. A Grand Jury has a
built-in bias because you don’t have
lawyers to cross-examine people,” he
added.
Phillips said police/community
relations are not good, and called for
better kinds o f communications to
occur.
"W hen you hit rock bottom, it's
hard to pick a place to start from.
You need to build from a foundation.
In order for a beginning to occur,
there needs to be a clarification of
roles. The community needs to know
that it’s police policy once officers
draw their guns to shoot to kill,"
Phillips said.
Herndon called upon Rep. John
Convers' subcommittee on Criminal
Justice to hold hearings regarding
this matter. This request amplifies
other calls for a national review of
existing police policy and procedure.
Currently, the Graves/Tate inci
dent is being heard before a Grand
Jury.
by the audience were:
— M ore cultural training for officers.
— M ore respect of the Black com
munity by police.
— A change in police attitudes
— M ore police accountability to the
community for their behavior while
on duty.
— Annual psychological tests on
officers.
— Involvement and input into the
budget advisory committee o f the
police bureau.
— M ore effective implementation
of existing police procedures.
— A police block home in every
neighborhood.
— M ore money for mental health.
— Better training for officers.
Harrington received a standing
ovation and M ayor Bud Clark sat
quietly writing down comments from
B e t t y C a b in a
P r o p r ie t o r
‘ ee»sx»<g aa^ i 6y NAONH S * » S ANDRE D O U G LA S N A T A L « C O U ft M C H A E l W f E « S
participants.
a
A contented mind ia a continual feaat.
Engllah proverb
a
Diligence is the mother of good luck.
— Benjam in Franklin
a
The longest national anthem is that of Greece,
which contain» 150 verse«.
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