Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 10, 1997)
•vz • -7 ■»* • • <- *X .-•«$ Page A8 SEPT. 10, 1997 (Clje ffcrtlanh ©bseruer POLICE NEWS Crime Stoppers The Teen Crisis: It’s Not All Bad News ecently 1 arrived to meet an acquaintance at his o f fice only to find it locked. As I waited in my car for him, a young man who looked to be in his late teens walked rapidly toward my car. He was dressed in trendy hip-hop style baggy pants and an oversized shirt. My first impulse was to roll up the car window and lock the door. 1 watched him closely until he was out o f view. I then berated m yself for reacting with m om entary panic and fear to the sight o f him. But I Knew why I did. He was a teenager, and therefore a threat. Many adults regard teens with the same mix o f caution o f fear. It’s easy to see why. One o f the hottest topics in America is teen violence. Much o f the media has plied the public with horror stories on teen m urder and mayhem. Much o f the public is scared stiff that teens are out o f control. Political leaders have reacted to the teen crisis with tough talk and even tougher legislation. In February, President Clinton called juvenile crime the “ultimate threat to our country” and called for increased funds for more prosecu tors and judges, as well as a crack down on gangs. Congress quickly upped the ante with a bill that pro vides $1.5 billion in federal grants to states that try more juveniles as adults, and would perm it 14-year olds who R commit major felonies to be tried in federal courts. Public fear o f youth crime and vio lence are not totally the product o f media sensationalism and vote hun gry politicians. The arrest rate o f ju veniles for violent crimes has soared 65 percent in the last five years, and the murder rates have climbed even higher. In 1996, four cities accounted for more than 30 percent o f juvenile ar rests for violent crime in the nation, and six states accounted for half of the juvenile arrests for violent crime nationwide. In May, the arrest o f a Long Beach, California teen in the slaying o f a seven-year-old girl at a Nevada Gambling Casino, and the arrest in June o f Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson o f Betty Shabazz, on murder charges in her arson death rammed home for many the fearful image o f a generation gone bad. But how bad? W hile there is much cause for concern about teen vio lence, the picture is not completely one o f doom and gloom. D rugs. In February, President Clinton declared a new war on teen drug use and announced a $350 m il lion media blitz to get the word out. This is not wasteful spending. Drug use has climbed among teens during the past two years. It’s not just mari juana use. More teens are using co caine, LSD and heroin than ever. But more youth also seem aware o f the danger o f illicit drugs. Surveys show that more than 70 percent o f youth claim that they have never tried an illicit drug. The number o f teen deaths from drug ov erd o ses natio n w id e has dropped sharply since 1970. And the overall rate o f drug use among teens is actually lower than in the 1970s. Violent Crime. Although teens accounted for one out o f the five arrests for violentcrimes in 1995, less than one percent o f juveniles were arrested for any offense. While the murder rate among teens has risen dramatically, the sharpest rise has been among young Blacks. M ost o f this can be directly traced to the big increase in poverty and the drug trade in the inner cities. The problems o f teen violence and drug use are troubling and demand the continuing attention o f state and local policy makers. It is folly, how ever, for the public to delude itself that the problem can be cured solely by tougher laws, longer prison sen tences, curfews, anti-gang injunc tions, and the death penalty. And there is strong evidence that trying and convicting teens in adult courts will increase crime. A 10-year study o f juvenile criminals in Florida found that those tried as adults committed more serious and violent crimes faster after release from prison than those tried in juvenile courts. The battle against teen violence requires the efforts and cooperation o f teachers, school officials, law en forcement, and most importantly par ents. Since 1991, 16 states have en acted parental responsibility acts that hold parents accountable for their children’s behaviorAlso, a study of juvenile boot camp in Colorado, Ohio and Alabama found a significant rise in educational levels o f the teen in mates. This is likely to translate into lower recidivism rates for teen of fenders in the future. The Rand Cor poration estimates that every $ 1 mil lion spent on education incentives for impoverished youth would pre vent 258 major crimes. The same amount spent on parent training would prevent 160 major crimes. This is a cheap and effective way to control crime when measured against the estimated $30,000 it costs to incarcerate a prison inmate for a year. Fortunately more teachers, admin istrators, law enforcement officials, and parents understand that the key to reducing juvenile crime is to spot troubled behavior early and quickly intervene. This w on’t stop some troubled youth from becoming full-fledged predators, but it recognizes that most youth aren’t bad. And that’s good news. ^ 7 -7 2 5 6 ? Kidnap/Sexual Assault Portland Police Bureau detectives, in cooperation with Crime Stoppers, are asking for your help in identifying and apprehending the person re sponsible for attacking and sexually assaulting a young woman. OnTuesday, July 15,1997,atabout 11:3 0 in the evening, the woman was walking home from work in the area o f NE 117th Avenue and Shaver Street. She was approached by the suspect who engaged her in conversation. The two were walking together when the suspect grabbed the victim ’s arm and placed his hand over her mouth. The victim was forced into a con- GYC IINGTON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND __ , Narcotics Search Warrant At Chevron Gas Station 3435 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard On Thursday, September 4,1997, at approximately 7:30 in the evening, officers from the Portland Police B ureau’s Drugs and Vice Division (DVD), Northeast Precinct, and the Gang Enforcem ent Team (G ET) served a M ultnomah County District Court narcotics search warrant at the Chevron Gas Station, 3435 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Also named in the warrant were two indi viduals employed at the station’s food market. Simultaneously, DVD officers searched a residence at 15857 E Burnside Street. The search warrant was the culm i nation o f several months o f investi gation by DVD officers into narcotics activity in and around the Chevron Gas Station. Numerous neighbor hood complaints and information from Northeast Precinct officers indicated crack cocaine was being sold on the gas station lot by street com er deal ers. Investigation determined that crack cocaine was also being sold from behind the counter o f the sta tion food market by store employees. The arrested individuals and charges are: Dalbagh Singh, 36 years o f age, o f 15857 E Burnside Street, charged with two counts o f Posses sion o f a Controlled Substance - Co caine, and one count o f conspiracy to Commit Distribution o f a Controlled Substance - Cocaine. Singh, who A Joyce Washington was tireless in her devotion to children and building a better community. Zty JJttrtlanb (Wscruer is continuing this loving legacy by awarding high school seniors from our community scholarships to help them achieve their dreams. You can help by sending your contribution to the Joyce Washington Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of Bank of America. Your support will be truly appreciated. Call your local Bank o f America for more information. I I struction site where she was beaten and sexually assaulted. The suspect is described as a male black in his m id-20’s, 5 ’6" tall, with a heavy build, short black hair, and a light complexion At the time o f the assault, he was wearing a gold hoop earring in his left ear, a light colored hat, and dark cloth ing. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $ 1,000 for information which leads to an arrest in this case or any unsolved felony crime, and you can remain anonymous. Call Crime Stoppers at (503) 823-HELP. Victim Identified In Tri-Met Homicide Johnny Wiiliam Simmons, a 16 year old black male, has been identified as the victim in Saturday’s Tri-M et shooting. F am ily m e m b e rs re c o g n iz e d Simmons picture from a police draw ing which had been shown by local media sources. Simmons is believed to be from the Los Angeles area with family tries in Portland. Simmons was on leave from the Job Corp Program and w asn’t expected back until after September 1,1997. I worked at the Chevron Gas Station, was lodged in the Justice Center Jail with bail set at $90,000. Seized at the Chevron station were narcotics, cash and two firearms. A second employee o f the Chev ron Station was taken into custody but not charged a this time. In addition to serving the search warrant at the Chevron Station, offic ers were in the area looking for a number o f individuals identified and wanted for drug involvement. But as officers approached the area o f NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and NE Fremont Street, people scattered in all directions. Three individuals were arrested and charged. They are: 21-year-old Milton Dwayne Ravin, o f 4027 N Alaska, charged with one count of Distribution o f a Controlled Sub stance - Cocaine, and one count o f Possession o f a Controlled Substance - Cocaine; 20-year-old Antonio Dee Carter, of2545 E Burnside #27, charged with one count o f Distribution o f a Controlled Substance - Cocaine, and one count o f Possession o f a Con trolled Substance-Cocaine; and, 16- year-old Phillshia Ann Davis, o f 8139 N Fessenden, charged with three counts o f Distribution o f a Controlled Substance - Cocaine. The investigation is continuing and additional arrests are anticipated. Fatal Accident On W ednesday, Septem ber 3, 1997, at 2:30 in the morning. East precinct uniform officers were dis patched on a report o f a car into a pole. Upon arrival officers found 21 - year old Jeffrey W hitfield Rice, o f Vancouver, Washington, who was a passenger in the vehicle, dead at the scene. According to Fatal Traffic A cci dent Investigators, the vehicle, a Nissan 300ZX, was westbound on NE Glisan at a high rate o f speed when it hit the curb, went out o f control and struck a utility pole on the south side ofGlisan.
