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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1987)
Uro F ran ces S choan-L easpaper Doom U n iv e rs ity of Oregon L ib ra ry u re n e , Oregon 97403 PORTLAND OBSERVER USP'» «»«>«6 ,i . /n, / m <(4 V o lum e X V II, N um ber 40 A u g u s t 12, 1987 25C Police Association Falsely Accuses the Observer for advertising non-existent police jobs", surrounds as alleged solici tation o f an advertisement by the "S kanner" newspaper which appeared in its "Careers" edition earlier this summer. W ritte n by Stan Peters, PPA president, th e article states th a t the "S k a n n e r" requested th a t the Portland Police Bureau purchase an advertise m en t fo r applications fo r em plo ym e nt as a police o ffic e r w ith th e C ity o f Portland. Peters states in the article th a t the request w as denied by the Bureau since there w e re no openings fo r police officers due to recent b u d get cu ts and because there are n o t likely to be any openings in the fu tu re . The 'S k a n n e r" d id n 't give up, ho w e ve r, and su cce ssfu lly appealed to M ayor Bud C lark's o ffice , w h ich overruled th e Bureau and ordered them to buy the ad at a m odest cost o f $500.00. "S o m e h o w (and no d o u b t, c o in c id e n ta lly )", continues Peters, "th e Portland O bserver m anaged to make a phone call to th e Bureau im m e d ia te ly a fte r th is episode and requested th a t the Bureau purchase a $500.00 ad in the O bserver so lici tin g ap p lica tio n s fo r its non -e xisting jo b openings. Since w e are all trained police o ffice rs, it should be no surprise to any o f us th a t th is tim e th e Bureau im m ediately approved the p u r chase o f the a d ." A check o f sales d o cu m e n ts and back issues o f the O bser ver by the O bserver s ta ff revealed no advertisem ents had been placed by th e Portland Police Bureau since 1984. H ow ever, records do in dica te th a t the Bureau purchased an ad in the JO B S Trade M agazine on S eptem ber 10, 1986, at a cost o f $250.00. (The JO B S M agazine is an insert in to th e Portland O bserver.) W h e n c o n ta cte d at Portland Police Bureau Personnel Stan Peters, President of Portland Police Association. In its headline article in the August 1987 edition of The Rap Sheet” , the official publication of the Portland Police Assocation and the Oregon Council of Police Associations, the Portland Obser ver was falsely accused of "participating in deceptive behavior in exchange for $500.00 " The story, headlined "Sad story concerning the use of funds H eadquarters, C apt. S ch ra d e r,-tC apt. o f Personnel, confirm ed the ad sta tin g , "O u r records reflect th a t th is tra n saction was com ple te d on S e ptem ber 10, 1986, and th is is the last ad placed w ith yo u r p u b lica tio n . The "R a p S h e e t" article is in e rro r." In blam ing the M a yo r's o ffic e fo r "th e bulk o f the respon sib ility fo r a ctin g in a fiscally in appropria te m a n n e r", the article claim s "d e c is io n s w ere made on a w h im sica l basis w ith o u t considering the lo n g -te rm ra m ifica tio n s. J u s t as certainly, th e Observer and the S kanner m ust be fa u lte d fo r particip ating in behavior w h ic h can o n ly be term ed dece ptive and fo r doing so in exchange fo r $50 0.0 0." The lo n g -ru n n in g controversy betw e en th e PPA and th e M ayor's o ffic e w as fueled by the A sso cia tio n 's allegations th a t positions fo r e m p lo ym e n t as police o ffic e rs w ith the City o f Portland w ere being advertised but did n o t exist. The Asso ciation asserts th a t th e m oney w o u ld have been b etter spent to prevent dem o tio n s due to budget cuts, o ve rtim e authorizations or purchasing a m m u n itio n to practice firin g .45 caliber w e a pons. In claim ing to su p p o rt the Bureau's m in o rity recru itm en t e ffo rts, the organ ization says it w ill co n tin u e to insist th a t only the m ost qualified app licants be hired. S pending $1,000 fo r advertising jo b s th a t do n o t exist is o n ly likely to discourage rather th a n encourage individuals fro m considering a career w ith the Portland Police Bureau, the PPA alleges. It fu rth e r stated th a t lying to people even before th e y becom e yo u r em ployees is n o t likely to create m uch in te rest in the job. A cco rd in g to S g t. J e ff Barker, "R a p Sheet e dito r, Peters was o u t o f to w n and unavailable fo r co m m e n t. The S g t. also stated th a t the in fo rm a tio n conce rn ing the alleged Observer ad was furnished by the Portland Police Public In fo rm a tio n o ffice . Lt. H enry G roepper, P .O .I. fo r the Police Bureau, denies giving any in fo rm a tio n to the Portland Police A sso cia tio n . O bserver General M anager, A l W illia m s, stated the "R a p S h e e t" article w as a com ple te fa b ric a tio n based on u n tru th s and "g u tte r jo u rn a lis m ” . "T o p u b licly accuse this new spaper o f deception to obtain an ad and to im ply th a t w e co-conspired w ith another pub lication to do so is n o t o n ly a lie b u t an in s u lt." W illiam s indicated he was turn ing the m a tte r over to counsel. Black Outreach Initiative Launched Black O utreach strategies fo r th e Red Cross O regon Trail American Red Cross C hapter have been charted and endorsed by local m anagem ent in accordance w ith N ational directives U nder the auspices o f Y o u th & C o m m u n ity Services, every o p p o rtu n ity fo r in vo lve m ent o f m em bers o f the Black c o m m u n ity in all aspects o f the A m erican Red Cross is being carefully looked at. Black O utreach m eans th a t at every phase o f governance and on all d e cisio n -m a kin g levels, th e A m e rica n Red Cross needs to increase and achieve su b sta n tia l p a rtic ip a tio n by Black c o n stitu e n ts. The Chapters m ust p ro m o te s ta ff and vo lu n te e r aw areness and c o m m itm e n t to th e M in o rity In itia tives (last year's in itia tive w as aim ed at the H ispanic c o m m u n ity), actively recru it eth n ic m inorities as candidates fo r p o si tio n s at all levels, b o th s ta ff and volunteers, and involve m in o rities in developing program s th a t m eet th e needs o f th a t m in o rity p o p u la tio n . Initially in the O regon Trail C hapter, th e Black Initiative has m eant fo rm in g a Black Initiative Task Force, chaired by Y vonne W illia m s, to determ ine the p relim inary ta rg e t p o p u la tio n and suggest a p roje ct w h ich serves and involves it. This task fo rc e has been designated to give advice on relevant issues and provid e linkage to and fro m th e co m m u n ity . First on th e ir agenda w as a S u m m er Fun Fair, Ju n e 10, w h ere local yo u th and th e ir fam ilies cam e to fin d o u t ab o u t o r ganizations and group s th a t serve y o u th w ith self-esteem and leadership d eve lop m en t, career o p p o rtu n itie s , health and safety in fo rm a tio n and activities. A p p ro xim a te ly 500 atte nded . N ext in the w in g s is a series o f blood pressure and ch o le sterol screenings sponsored th ro u g h o u t n o rth and northeast Portland fo r lo w - or n o -in com e individuals. Because Black Michelle Sherpe (R) and Aleem Shabazz will help expand Red Cross programs into north/northeast and minority communities. Photo by Richard J. Brown and cholesterol-related illness, these screenings are im p o rta n t to m eet th e special needs o f th is p o p u la tio n . A t th e firs t tw o clinics, 61 in d ivid u a ls w e re screened, and o f those, 22 w ere special fo llo w -u p events, parent tra in in g and prin te d resources guides are all c o m p o n e n ts o f th e new program . Sites and A leem w ill p rovid e s ta ff s u p p o rt to a c o m m itte e w o rk in g on fo u n d to need referral. M ichaelle Sharpe, specialist in Y o u th & C o m m u n ity S er th e w o rksh o p s. individuals have a 3-5 tim e s higher risk fo r high blood pressure vo lunteer in s tru c to rs are being so u g h t to p ro m o te and expand m u lti cu ltu ra l tra in in g . "O u r o ve rw h e m lin g p rio rity is to w o rk fo r b e tte r c o m m u n ity awareness o f Red Cross services and a ctivitie s so th a t there is increased in vo lve m e n t o f Blacks in all aspects o f th e A leem Shabazz, M in o rity O utreach specialist, w ill assist in C hapter. The Black c o m m u n ity has been under represented as vices, has been hired to develop and present trainin g to c h il dren in th e n o rth /n o rth e a s t area w h o are le ft hom e alone. The in te n tio n is to go w h ere th e children are rather than expect them He volunteers, em ployees, blood d o n o rs and fin a n cia l d o n o rs . w ill also assist in c o o rd in a tin g sickle cell te stin g fo r children By m aking Red Cross m ore visible in th e c o m m u n ity , th e b e n e to com e to the Red Cross headquarters; specifically, at c o m by w o rk in g w ith th e S ickle Cell F ou ndatio n, and w ill supervise m u n ity centers, blood pressure and cholesterol screening in th e co m m u n ity. fits becom e re c ip ro c a l," said B everly Del G rande, d ire c to r, Y o u th & C o m m u n ity Services parks and churches. C h ildre n's classes. A ID S e d u c a tio n , p a rtic u la rly w ith m in o rity co m m u n itie s.
