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PORTLAND OBSERVER
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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.