Br* France* Schoen-\«B *p*per Poca U n iv e rs ity o f Oregon L ib ra ry lu g e n e , Oregon 97403 PORTWND OBSERMER u»«»««» <«"» »«.Mie». *> Ittt 250 Workshop Held to Address Ways in Closing Drug Houses by Jerry Garner The City of Portland is experiencing an increase in the number of drug houses in communities throughout the City despite an increase in drug related arrests, said Lt. Chuck Karl, Commander of Portland Police Bureau's drug and Vice Unit. Karl said, "In January of this year, the Bureau received 175 complaints of tips on drug related problems Since then, the number has increased each month, so far for the month of August, the number has reached to 375. Also, we estimate there are at least 500 drug houses in the greater Portland area The problem of drugs in the City isn't going away." Karl told this to a crowd of about 100 people who attended a special workshop designed to address the problem of drug houses in their commu nities last Wednesday at the King Facility. Joining Karl on the panel were Jim McIntyre, a Deputy District Attorney who prosecutes drug cases for the Multnomah County District Attorney's office; Sharon McCormack. NAC Northeast Coordinator; and Sargeant Doug May, North Precinct Special Missions Unit on Drug and Vice. The workshop was put on by the Office of Neighborhood Associations During the workshop, practical information was given to citizens on how Candy Nolan urgaa that detoxification and treatm ent center« ba provided by the city for drug users. Photo by Richard J. Brown they could best help to expedite the closing of drug houses in their neigh borhoods Citizens were also told general plans and activities planned by the Police Bureau to close down houses that sell drugs, the role of the District Attorney to shut down drug houses, and what type of information citizens should provide in their reporting of drug activities in their community. A t a w o rk s h o p last W ednesday on closing drug houses. N a e e m M u h a m m a d raises his concerns th at priorities to figh t drug dealing in the Black co m m u n ity are not high enough. Photo by Richard J B row n When Lt Karl asked the crowd if they would support an ordinance that would penalize owners who rent their houses to drug dealers, the crowd responded by letting out a thunderous clapping of hands and shouts of yes Karl said the ordinance would work like this Once a drug house is raided, the landlord would be notified and would have 30 days to get the tenants to stop dealing drugs or the house couldn't be used for an entire year for any purpose Karl said the city used a similar type of abatement ordinance to close down massage parlors during the early 70 s when they were used as fronts for prostitution activities He told the residents to write to their elected officials encouraging them to adopt such an ordinance Karl said, "The police cannot solve the drug problems alone It will take community involvement and new laws to bring it under control." According to Karl, the Portland Police Bureau has increased the number of drug related arrests by 66 percent during the first seven months of 1986 "Furthermore, we have raided 65 drug houses so far this year We try to serve an average of one to two search warrants at suspected drug houses every day. I would like to be serving five warrants each day, but shortage of personnel prevents us from doing so." Kari told the crowd that illegal drug use and abuse is one of the reasons why crime is on the increase in the neighborhoods "It is very clear, people who use drugs are committing crimes " Lt. Karl said due to the lack of available jail space to house drug dealers, one of his and the Bureau’s top priorities is to sell assets "If we can catch them with cash or things they buy with drug money, we will seize them The state has good seizure laws My preference is to get into their pocket books, if I can, until jail space is available to lock them up " McIntyre said the drug problem in the City has gotten so out of control that law enforcement officials are having difficulty finding the resources to deal with it adequately. "It's a problem of having sufficient crime lab personnel to handle an influx of drugs we bring in for testing, it's a shortage of police personnel to do the extensive investigation into drug trafficing and having adequate prosecutorial staff to handle the increasing number of drug cases brought before the District Attorney's office." McIntyre told the crowd that workshops such as this one are valuable in th.it they inform citizens how they can help with the drug problem in their neighborhoods by gathering information on drug activities and reporting it to the police "It is not just a police problem, but a community problem; thore are a lot of people in your communities who buy drugs," said McIntyre McIntyre said the role of the District Attorney's office is to try to provide the Police Bureau, the Mulnomah County Sheriff’s Department, the State Police, and other governmental law enforcement agencies with legal advice they need to write valid search warrants and the necessary work to close down the drug houses or to seize them. Sharon McCormack briefed those who attended the two hour workshop on how to find the owners of drug houses in an effort to inform them of the illegal activities occurring on their property She said in some cases the landlords aren't aware of the problem. McCormack said another issue which needs investigation is to see whether particular landlords rent to several drug clients "I am not saying that landlords are involved in some of the drug houses, but the matter needs to b« looked into," said McCormack » Are Military Bases and Prisons Recruiting Grounds for Hate Groups? by Jerry Garner "I believe the prison system is a field waiting to be cultivated I see my work here in prison as mis sionary work and educator spread ing the words Our movement can not help but to grow and it will." The above quote is from Bruce Caroll Pierce, former leader of the Neo Nazi hate group, the Order Pierce is currently serving a 100 year prison sentence There is disturbing evidence that the violent Neo Nazi group, such as the Order and the White Patriot Party, are targeting prisons and m ili tary installations as recruiting grounds for their Hate Movement According to a Justice Depart ment study, sixteen states have pri sons with active White Supremacist gangs Among those are prison institutions in the Pacific North west By using computerized mailing lists and their own convicted follow ers on the inside, the radical right has launched a major recruitment campaign in the nation's prisons, offering hundreds of hardened cri minals a new beginning in the Hate movement The leader of this recruitment drive is Robert Miles He has been called the spiritual leader of the Hate movement Miles corresponds regularly with 1,800 prison inmates in 43 states "W e re the only ones who say to the inmates, 'Hey, yes, we know you're from European extraction. W e know that you’re concerned with your position and we're intere sted in you.' Why wouldn't these criminals turn to us." said Miles. Miles sends a monthly newsletter to these 1,800 inmates called "Be yond the Bars, the Stars." The newsletter is filled with anti-semetic and racist preaching. He uses a computer to keep his mailing list which, he says, continues to grow "It is a chance for them to get a truely new start," said Miles This new start is to move to the Pacific Northwest, which has been proclaimed an Aryan homeland. These groups claim they don't ad vocate violence anymore, yet they X». still warn of using violence on a massive scale. For example, the following is a portion from a speech made by Greg Witdrow during a recent Ar yan Nation Convention in Hayden Lake, Idaho: "The White people of this nation should utilize every me thod and option available to them to neutralize and quite possibly engage in wholesale extermination of all sub-human, non Aryan people from the face of the entire North Ameri can continent." Prisons are ideal recruiting grounds for Hate groups because of racial tension and overcrowding. These Hate groups harness the hat red that is often developed in pn son. It is rather frightening to ima gine what the possibilities are of hardcore criminals joining them once they leave prison Not only are Neo Nazi groups targeting prisons for new members, they are recruiting U.S Military in stallations for members Members of the United States Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, > > « North Carolina, have participated in paramilitary exercises and in rallies staged by the White Patriot Party in North Carolina according to the Anti Dfamation League (ADL) of B’nai B'rith. The White Patriot Party is a vio lence prone Neo Nazi group. Some Patriot Party members were present at the Ayran Nation convention held last month in Hayden Lake, Idaho. The observer attained a copy of a letter written by ADL's National Director, Nathan Perimutter, to Secretary of Defense Casper Wein berger The letter which was dated May 19 informed Weinberger that the ADL was "concerned about re ports that Marines were participa ting in White Patriot activities." "Particularly troublesome is the possibility that U.S Marines could be providing this gang with wea pons or explosives to which they have access," said Perimutter In a response to the letter written by Perimutter, Secretary Wember ger stated that he had directed that allegations of misconduct of the Marinos Ire investigated He went on to say that "although the invest igation is continuing, initial reports roflect that three former Mannes who were involved in the activities of the Whito Patriot Party have been discharged from the Marine Corps for those activities " Weinberger said the Department of Defense "deplores the violence and bigotry of the Ku. Klux, Kian, and organize tions like it . " ADL said, in the past, hate groups such as the Kian and Neo Nazis have tried to recruit members of the armed services and encou rage participation in their activities For example, on August 29. 1979 the Navy issued an order to all ship and shore commanders on the sub ject o, racist activity Chief of Naval Operations Admeal Thomas B. Hay ward told the commanders that "prejudice and preparedness are in compatible" and instructed them to prohibit "activities of a member or members of a racist organization" when such activities "materially in terfere with the accomplishment of a military mission." When, later that year, Kian leader Bill Wilkinson scheduled a recruiting rally aimed at sailors in the Norfork area, the Navy responded by tranfernng a sailor involved in organizing the rally and declared it off limits to Navy and Marine personnel LEAGUE MEETING On Saturday, September 6, 1986, at 10:00 A M ., the Portland Chapter of Older Women's League (O W L I will meet in Providence Hall Social Room, Providence Hospital, 4805 N E Glisan St. Hear State Rep. Mary Alice Ford, Vice Chair Human Resources Committee, speak on "Health Issues for Mid Age and Older Women in '86 '87 Legisla ture." Also learn about National O W L . ' i other agendas such as Social Security, Pension Rights, Caregiver Support Services, and Health Insurance. Ample parking in structure and Tn Met access Inter ested mid age and older women are invited (no charge I Call 245 4271 or 231 7509 for information ' «, » • v -r •