November28.2007___________________________________
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Volunteer responders and staff from the Portland Police Bureau Crisis Response Team include (from left) John Sedra, Ron Macias, April Murchinson. William Warren, Sean Cruz, Victor Leo. Officer
Marci Jackson-Johnson, Robin Wisner, Mary Rhodes, Marcus Branch, Barry Diggs, Pam Monnette, Margaret Bain, Dan Rosen, Rita Jamison, Deborah Monk and Renee Blakely-Ward.
Portland Police Crisis Team Volunteers Give Back
Take survivor care to next level
When Margaret Bain received
the news 17 years ago that her son
was gunned down on a street cor
ner in northeast Portland, there was
little compassion.
"It was very business-like," said
Bain, 60, who was approached by a
Portland Police o fficer and a
Multnomah County medical exam
iner about her son M ujib's death in
1990. "They had time to put their
arms around me. But at the time, 1
didn't know what to do or what to
ask,” Bain said.
Showing up at the scene of a
loved one's death creates the feel
ing of numbness, denial and shock,
which can overwhelm the system.
Questions are many, but answers
are few as officers go about inves
tigating the crime.
It was because of survivors like
Bain that the Portland Police Bu
reau in 1994 created the Crisis Re
sponse Team.
The volunteers and staff that
make up the group provide immedi
ate on-scene crisis intervention and
short-term support to victims and
co-victims of traumatic events, such
as accidental deaths, homicides and
aggravated assaults.
"This is an unexpected service
of the Police Bureau to walk through
a situation with the victim or their
families," said CRT Officer Marci
Jackson-Johnson, who has been
with the team since 2005. "When
the officer or detective is busy in
vestigating, we inform the family of
the investigative process, how long
it takes, what comes next. We offer
direction that the family doesn't
expect from us.
“One thing we never stop hear
ing is, ‘I didn't know police would
help us like this.’”
The team consists of one officer,
a senior adm inistrative support
specialist and volunteer respond
ers. There are currently 47 active
responders, who are community
members that provide an important
aspect to the team because they
show up at crime scenes to provide
support to the survivors. What is
more important is that responders
are from various diverse cultures
and speak various languages. Typi
cally, a responder goes through a
minimum of 40 hours training, but
some have actually experienced
traumatic events themselves.
The team also partners with busi-
nesses, such as victim 's assistance
"What better way to be a partner
organizations, funeral homes and with the community than to walk
local restaurants. The services in through a tragic incident with the
clude completing Crime Victim's family," said Jackson-Johnson, who
Assistance forms and offering re has been with the Police Bureau
ferrals for crisis intervention and since 1993. "Usually, officers do
funeral services.
their immediate job and are done.
In its first year, CRT - then We take it to the next level and
based prim arily in north and become a resource and support
northeast Portland - responded team.”
to about 28 calls, which included
For Margaret Bain, that level of
hom icides, suicides and a case of support was not there in 1990.
sudden-infant-death syndrom e.
Soon after, more culturally spe
cific teams were form ed with
A sian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic
and Sexual M inority groups.
There are hopes to develop Rus
sian and African teams.
“Although we can’t cover every
culture, the responders come with
a willingness todo whatever it takes
to help the person in need,” Jack
son-Johnson said.
In 2006, CRT responded to 25
calls, and already 33 calls were re
quested in 2(X)7 as of October.
Jackson-Johnson said that with'
members of the community making
up C R T 's volunteer corps of re
sponders. and with local businesses
pitching in to help, this cooperative
effort truly meets the definition of
community policing.
Bethel AME Reunion Concert
The community is invited to en second reunion concert, Sunday,
joy some of the best traditional Dec. 2 at 4 p.m.
gospel music in the area, when the
Under the direction of the re
Inspirational Choir of Bethel Afri nowned Mrs. Lorene Wider, the
can Methodist Episcopal Church. concert will feature guest soloists
5824 N. Eighth Ave., presents its from around the city. An offering
Choral Christmas Concert
W arner Pacific College’s Con Burt, Brooks, Britten, Haydn and
certs in the Chapel Series presents Mozart, as well as the Christmas
its 33rd annual Choral Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah.
Concert on Sunday, Dec. 2 at .3 p.m.
Members of the Metropolitan
in McGuire Auditorium on the Youth Symphony will accompany
school campus at 2219 S.E. 68th thechoirs, and Warner Pacific Cho
Ave. near Division Street.
ral Director Dr. Thomas A. Miller
The concert will feature the will conduct.
W arner Pacific Concert Choir.
Admission is free, but donations
WamerChorale.andaspecial Alumni will be accepted. For more informa
Choir performing seasonal music of tion, cal 1503-517-1207.
"CRT wasn't born yet," she said.
"It was only in the eyes of the
officers who could no, carry out
their jobs and cry at the same time."
Bain is now a responder, and has
already seen enough. But the death
of her son, she said, has given her
a mission.
"I am the mother of a murdered
child. I have been sleepless, had to
be the glue that kept my family
together as we walked this cold
W O R L D A ID S D A Y
fig h t Ig n o r a n c e
DECEM BER
c h a lle n g e p r e d fu d lc e
will be taken to help raise money to
purchase a lifesaving Automatic
External Defibrillatorfor the church.
For more information, call Kai
Robertson at 503-810-4958.
road. So I know what it's like for
these families as they journey from
the crime scenes to the funeral
homes. I've served food and held
hands, and cried with them.
“The community really needs
these special c risis response
teams."
For more information about the
Crisis Response Team or to be
come a CRT volunteer responder,
call 503-823-2095.
1
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