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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2005)
B lack H istory M Page AIO onth 2 fc ,a t coverage February 16, 2005 Police Committed t0 Diversity continued fro m Front more," Anderson said. "'This is a community issue.” He expressed concern that not enough local resi dents are becoming police officers. “It’s not just about diversity in the way we think but in the way we look as well,” Foxworth said. “Port land has changed over the years and the police bureau needs to change as well.” Having grown up in Portland, Foxworth, knows the importance of keeping things local. “W hen you have some history and are from the community and know the issues, you can look through relationships,” Foxworth said. “I can go back and I can look and see how things have changed. You know the businesses, the churches, the schools, and their needs. We have a lot in common. We sat in the same chairs, went to the same schools.” Modica, noted that police offic ers are members of the community whether they work there for 12- hours a day or live there. “A police officer is supposed to I t’s not just about diversity in the way we think but in the way we look as well. Portland has changed over the years and the police bureau needs to change as well. -Police Chief Derrick Foxworth be a peace officer,” he said. When asked why more people of color aren’t signing up to where the uniform, Modica said, “There’s al ways hesitation in those that are not white in becoming a police of ficer. Historically, we don’t get along as a culture with the police. W e’ve got to overcome that. If you don’t know your history you’re doomed to repeat it. The way to change that is to become involved ried about possible dangers of the as part of the organization.” Another thing holding people job and whether or not Anderson would be accepted by his co-work back could be family concerns. A nderson rem em bered that ers and his community as an Afri when he first wanted to become a can American. police officer, his mother was wor “It isn’t overwhelmingly dan Respected Officer Promoted continued fro m Front needless to say, received no solici tors. W hile they didn’t care for the “attention,” they also knew that Jackson genuinely cared about them, and that they could come to" him if they were seriously in trouble. Because of his efforts, when lo cal businessman Jack Chung was designing a store for the adidas athletic shoe company at 5020 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., he named the public open space in front of it “Harry Jackson Plaza.” “They suggested I call it Jack’s Place and I said no, I’ve done noth ing for MLK,” Chung recalls. “I didn ’ t want it named for a mayor or someone with a big title. I wanted someone w ho’d done good work in the community. Then I said, ‘Why not Harry Jackson?” ’ As recently as last year, Jackson personally had to step into a vola- his off-duty hours. In what could almost be a quote from one o f P o tter’s election speeches he says, “We want to get community policing up to the level - Portland Police Lieutenant Harry Jackson it was before. It dropped because of personnel shortages. W e’ 11 get back into it full swing, tile situation. North Portland’s Pen gangs (which he chased out of but w e’re still short o f people, insula Park had become disputed Peninsula Park) are here.” Still, he is impressed by what he and this is a large area with a lot turf between rival youth gangs, to cover. some driving there from as far away sees. “Citizen participation here is Jackson is making plans for sum as East Portland. On one occasion mer law enforcement expectations. probably better than it is in inner Jackson stepped betw een tw o “W e need things for kids to do groups of youths who appeared to northeast,” he says. “They have be about to have a shootout, taking regular meetings. Being a police so that they can have a good tim e a shotgun away from one young man is prestigious, which is new to and not be a part o f any problem s. man. me. Citizens here really do support Now is the tim e to start prepar the police. They bring us cookies, ing.” To some extent, the world Jack- Jackson has been doing all this son found on his old patrols has they wash our cars.” Jackson reminds us that north for 27 years, first for the O regon come east with him. Jack so n acknow ledges that east Portland was where commu State Police, then for the Port of gangs are becoming more of a prob nity policing started. He was a regu Portland before joining the Port lar at neighborhood meetings, and land Police bureau 24 years ago. lem in outer east Portland. “I’ve been at this job a long time, “ We ’ ve had a few drive-bys,” he even accepted a role in the King said. “The 18th Street and 13th Street Neighborhood Association during and I still like it,” he says. * Vve been at this job a long time, and I still like it. To know nothing is bad. To learn nothing is worse. - African proverb We celebrate the contributions of African Americans throughout our history. Com m unity C ollege For in fo r m a tio n c a ll 5 0 3 -9 7 7 -4 5 1 9 w w w .p c c .e d u gerous,” Anderson said. “That fear o f being ostracized didn’t happen because I kept my relationships. The bureau accepted me. I got re spect from the community and co workers.” Anderson said people should not be deterred if they think there’s an aspect of their past that would keep them from being hired. He said people are a lot harder on them selves than they need to be. "W e are supporting the notion that public safety is good and hon orable,” Modica said. “You can take care of your family, you can take care of your community. The people are the police and the police are the people. Once you become a police officer, then you engage in a career path ofacontinuing education. You support organizational and com munity goals for your work.” “What we have to overcome are the barriers that cause people not to think of public service as a ca reer,” Anderson said. “You can have a direct impact on how that service is provided to the com m u nity as opposed to it being a nega tive encounter.” Police Hiring Help Offered The Portland Police Bureau A test for applying for law en plans to hire 70 new officers in the forcement jobs is scheduled for next few months. March 26, with a sign-up deadline Special recruitment efforts are o f Friday, March 4. A workshop to u n d erw ay in lo c a l sc h o o ls, help those interested in preparing churches, and organizations in an for the test is scheduled just be effort to make the police force more fore the examination is adminis multicultural. Portland police are tered giving potential recruits the also recruiting new officers at lo opportunity to speak with offic cal jo b fairs. ers, answer questions and take a Police Chief Derrick Foxworth pre-test. said the goal is to educate more Another way to learn about the men and women from diverse Portland Police Bureau is to sched populations about the benefits of ule a ride-along with an officer, becoming a police officer. The cam where a person can get a first hand paign includes more advertising look at what the occupation is like and marketing and a major commit on a day-to-day basis. ment to diversity within the ranks For more information, call the of the Portland police force. bureau at 503-823-0333. To sign Hiri ng guidelines are contained up for the test preparation w ork w ith jo b a p p lic a tio n shop, call ore-mail Tamara Larison materials, which can be picked up at 5 0 3 -8 2 3 -3 5 2 3 o r tla riso n in the p e rso n n e l d iv isio n @ci.portland.or.us. The calendar of the Portland Police Bureau lo o f workshops is located on the cated in the Justice Center down police bureau W eb site, along with to w n , or by v isitin g a test guide, application and guide www.portlandonline.com/police. lines. Praying to Stop the Violence continued fro m Front nurse encouraged her to attend a rape support group. “I did not trust my own judge ment,” Kern said. “Something bad happened to me and not one per son, except a friend, had acknowl edged that. It stays with you for a very long time. W e’re surrounded by violence but we don’t need to embrace it.” Bell told of how her mother was a victim of domestic violence, and how viewing it growing up made it seem acceptable. “When I grew up I thought it was okay to be knocked around,” Bell said. “It tears a person’s soul apart and it takes a lot of counseling and healing. It’s just not okay.” During a press conference ear lier in the week. Bell asked why, if programs can focus on things like methamphetamine addiction, is the issue of violence not a priority. “We are at war within the com munity,” she said. “When we consider the things w e’ve been through, we can find a million reasons to hang our heads in despair,” said Rev. W.C. Hardy. Hardy attempted to put things in perspective. “When we are in the midst of something, it’s hard to evaluate where we are. How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” Hardy asked. “It’s a strange land.” Hardy went on to describe all the historical hardships that African Americans have been through, and how amazing it is that they have survived. “If you don ’ t know how God has been on you side by now, you’ll never know,” Hardy said. The con gregation echoed his shouts of T m I f Instead of PHOTOS BY dedicating your life to gangs and guns, dedicate your life to your education an(j books. K atherine kovacich / T he P orti . and -Tyrone James, a man left blinded by gun violence O bserver still here!” with unmatched vigor. were purchasing work shirts when While Hardy said it was good that Domenicke Eugene Sanders, 25, the youth performing during the held them at gunpoint during a rob service were involved in the church, bery on 42nd and Killingsworth. he also pointed out that when the When Bell, 24, and his younger media “knows if we just keep singing brother Wilando Bell, 20, went to and dancing, nothing is going to confront Sanders about the situa change. We need to put down the tion, what resulted was fatal. differences and com e together. Wilando was found dead from a Enough is enough. If we don’t single gunshot wound on Feb. 7 in change, somelxxly’s going to die an apartment on Northeast 42"11 again. Don’t let it go unchanged.” Avenue. Willie suffered a gunshot T yrone James, Bell’s son-in-law wound to the arm. who was blinded from a shot to the Police arrested Sanders Tues head and had his wife murdered, day in Vancouver on allegations of spoke about the importance of de murder, attempted murder and first- terring children from the glamoriza- degree robbery in connection with tion of gangs. He visits schools to the shootings. show kids that violence is not the W ilando’s death was the third answer, and to show them the con homicide in Portland in a week and sequences. the fourth in Portland this year. “Instead of dedicating your life Bell said that prevention needs to gangs and guns, dedicate your to begin with the young. “ You life to your education and books," get older and you never depart," James said. “This violence is not he said. “If you get harassed by fun. You’re not hurting yourself, the police when y o u 're young, you're hurting your family.” it'll make you more angry.” He “It'sgot to stop," Willie Lee Bell, said the key is for children to the victim shot in the arm, said have positive things to do to during the press conference. occupy their tim e. Bell said he and his girlfriend