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. r ■ Walt I Stop I Don't boat that machinal ■ Special Coupon ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ i ■ Halp Just arrlvadl W e at I. M. Murphy'a Appliance« have the enawer» to your problemsl We h a ve ..................................................... 8tovea « I ! I I low A 8 m o o dryer» LOW A S 800.00 LOW A S m o o a ** • » d a y Warranty* W e also aervice weahera & dryer» IN HOME and IN SHOP at reeaonebie price« that fit your budget. I. M . Murphy’s Appliances 4011 N.E. Union 248-1361 brouyht to you every week bv AM ERICAN STATE BANK ««i> rvMAAi oaroarr m u iu m c i co*«M*no« 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»