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February 16, 2005
Police Committed t0 Diversity
continued
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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
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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
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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