October 20, 2010
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Fred Meyer
R eview
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Special Edition
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C alendar
P hoto by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Salina Harris (center) speaks out against youth gang violence. A mother of gang-violence shooting
victim Andre Payton, she was joined at Friday’s news conference by Mayor Sam Adams, Police Chief
Mike Reese, District Attorney Mike Shrunk and other officials who announced the réintroduction of a
gun task force to recover and reduce the availability of firearms to youth and felons.
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A Mother’s Plea
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Gang violence
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C lassifieds
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H ealth
“I never thought 1 would stand­
ing here as the parent o f a murdered
child,” Salina Harris told reporters
during a news conference Friday in
northeast Portland. Harris is the
m o th er o f 19-y ear-o ld A ndre
Payton, who was killed downtown
on Sept. 26 in a drive-by shooting,
the victim o f gang violence.
“Our children who grew up to­
gether are now shooting at, injuring
and murdering each other,” she said.
“As a community we need to help
the police stop this violence.
Harris was joined by Mayor Sam
Adams, Portland Police C hief Mike
Reese, Multnomah County District
Attorney Mike Schrunk, acting U.S.
Attorney Dwight Holton and other
officials, whojointly announced the
formation o f a new gun violence-
focused police task force.
Payton’s death - and a related
gang shooting following his funeral
- are a part o f an increase in Port-
land-area violence; more than 70
gang-related shootings have been
reported in Portland so far this year,
an increase over2009’s 68 incidents.
The new Portland Police Gun Task
Force will work toward reducing gun
violence through the recovery o f
illegally possessed firearms.
The Gun Task Force was also cre­
ated to work alongside the recently
resurrected Portland Police Bureau’s
Gang Enforcement Team, which had
been disbanded 3 years ago due to
bureau budget cuts. The Gang En­
forcement Team -w hich includes the
Gang Violence Reduction Team
(G VRTjthat is in charge ofboth shoot­
ing cases - investigates gang-related
shooting and violence crimes, but is
not focused on gun-specific crimes.
Combined, the units are investi­
gating all aspects o f gang activities,
from prevention to apprehension,
to better serve victims and families
o f gang-related crimes, like Harris.
Despite dozens o f witnesses to her
son’s death, no suspects have ma­
terialized.
Harris urges witnesses to the
shooting to Come forward. The Afri­
can American Chamber of Commerce
o f Oregon, in partnership with the
Oregon NW Chapter ofNational Or­
ganization ofBlack Law Enforcement
Executives are offering a $ 1,000 re­
ward for information leading to the
arrest and conviction in Payton's
murder.
“As a community, it is our re­
sponsibility to come together to help
the Police solve these crimes and
prevent future violence,” Harris said.
“1 want to be the last member o f the
moms o f Murdered Children Club.”
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Pa8e 24
Obama Campaigns for Kitzhaber
President Barack Obama is arriv­
ing in Portland Wednesday, Oct. 20
to headline a campaign event for
Oregon gubernatorial candidate
John Kitzhaber.
The Democrat and former two-
term governor is hoping to boost
support with the president’s pres­
ence. Kitzhaber is in a tight race focusing on their proposals to fix
against political new com er and Oregon's economy and high unem­
former Trail Blazer Chris Dudley. ployment rate.
T he la te st poll re s u lts show
The Obama-Kitzhaber rally, held
Kitzhaber is leading Dudley, but by at the Oregon Convention Center, is
only two percentage points.
slated to begin at 6 p.m., with the
The candidates faced o ff in their president arriving via Air Force One
only televised debate last week. at 5:30p.m.