Page14_____________________________________
Child Abuse
îl!C ^ u rtla n b (Obstruer__________________ October 24,2012
Reece Adjusts Use of Force Policies
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 4
Advocates seek
city and federal
agreement first
sons more than once.
"I don't know how to tell it," the
man told a sheriffs deputy. "They
just occurred — 1 don't know an
explanation, why we done it or I
done it or wanted to do it or any
thing else it just — an impulse 1
guess or something.
"As far as an explanation 1 just
couldn't dig one up."
He wouldn't have to. Seven days
later, the decision was made not to
pursue charges against the scout
master.
The last sliver of hope for justice
for the abuse of two teenagers and
an 11 -year-old boy slipped away in
a confidential letter from a Louisi
ana S co u ts e x ec u tiv e to the
organization's national personnel
division in New Jersey.
"This subject and Scouts were
not prosecuted," the executive
wrote, "to save the name of Scout
ing."
An Associated Press review of
the files found that the story of
these brothers and their scoutmas
ter, however horrendous, was not
unique.
The files released Thursday were
collected between 1959 and 1985,
with a handful of others from later
years. Some have been released
previously, but others — those from
prior to 1971, including the story of
the three scouts in Ouachita Parish
— have been made public for the
first time.
The documents reveal that on
many occasions the files succeeded
in keeping pedophiles out of Scout
ing leadership positions — the rea
son why they were collected in the
first place. But the files are also
littered with horrific accounts of al
leged pedophiles who were able to
continue in Scouting because of
pressure from community leaders
and local Scouts officials.
C ari H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
Advocates are urging the Port
land Police Bureau to wait until the
U.S. Department of Justice and the
community have reached an agree
ment on police use of force before
finalizing the new policy changes
that Police Chief Mike Reese an
nounced last week.
The city and the Department of
Justice have been in negotiations
following last month’s federal re
port findings that the Portland Po
lice Bureau has a “pattern or prac
tice of excessive force against
people with mental illness.”
Before any agreem ent was
reached. Police Chief Mike Reese
announced policy changes to im
prove how police officers deal with
Portland’s mentally ill.
The changes to policy included
the re-implementation of a Crisis
Intervention Team made up of
volunteer and specialized patrol
officers who would be available to
dispatch on mental-health related
calls. The bureau had a similar
team in the past, but dropped it in
2007 to fully train all officers on the
by
Police Chief Mike Reese
subject.
According to Reese, all officers
would continue be trained on Crisis
Intervention with the team in place.
C hief Reese also announced
changes to three directives involv
ing use of force: Taser use, applica
tion of force, and use of deadly force.
The police bureau posted the
policies online and asked for com
munity feedback by Friday, Nov. 2,
2012.
Advocates responded, includ
ing Portland Copwatch, a grassroots
group promoting police account
ability through citizen action.
In public comments e-mailed to
Chief Reese, Portland Copwatch’s
Dan Handelman first, urged the
bureau not to finalize the new policy
changes “until the community and
the DOJ have decided that the plans
will do something to eliminate the
pattern and practice of excessive
force that was found”.
Handelman critiqued that when
under scrutiny in the past, the bu
reau has made minor changes to
policies while asking investigators
to hold off until there is time to see
how the new changes work.
“Such shenanigans are no longer
to be tolerated,” wrote Handelman.
Portland Copwatch fears that
implementing policy changes be
fore an agreement is reached, might
give federal courts the impression
that there is no need for oversight,
intervention, or further community
involvement.
Handelman also expressed that
the bureau make the directives easier
for the public to understand by
changing its confusing numerical
language.
Further, advocates hoped to see
other directives previously brought
to police attention, like the Medical
Aid directive, addressed in the DOJ
agreement.
Portland Copwatch said they
support the idea of a hybrid Crisis
Intervention Team model that in
cludes all officers being trained but
also specific skilled members apart
of an on-call team.
However, advocates emphasized
that the existence of such team
should not relieve members of their
responsibility to de-escalate and use
"m ra T- iTnrmw ii mn i
their own training to resolve situa
tions.
Nobody wants to see a repeat
death o f Jose M ejia Poot, said
Handelman.
Poot was a Mexican day laborer
shot at a mental health hospital in
2001 when a second set of officers
arrived after the first set, which in
cluded a CIT-trained officer, had
gone off duty.
Copwatch’s Handelman went on
to express concerns on the Portland
Police bureau’s Force, Deadly Use
of Force and Taser policies, with
specific comments on sections like
policy, constitutional and bureau
standards, procedures, duties, and
many other details.
Police Public Information Officer
Pete Simpson responded by say
ing, “At this point [the policy
changes] are drafts that have been
posted to solicit feedback.”
“No timeline has been estab
lished on adopting them ,” said
Simpson, “And the DOJ agreement
is one factor that will be considered
in the eventual adoption of policy
changes.”
To read and comment on the
Police bureau’s policy changes, go
to http://www.portlandonline.com/
police/index.cfm?c=59757.
Portland Copwatch’s comments
are public and should be available
online soon.
T im .m. 1 h .. w b
Section 8 Waiting List to Open
Low-incom e renters who struggle to pay
their rent have the opportunity for relief by
applying for Home Forward's Section 8 Hous
ing Choice Voucher waiting list.
The agency (form erly Housing A uthority
of Portland) will take online applications for
this popular rent assistance program during
a 10-day period starting Thursday, Nov. 1.
Section 8 vouchers help those with limited
incom es afford rents in the private market.
W hen the list last opened in 2006, Home
Forward received nearly 10,000 applications.
For this opening, 3,000 households will be
random ly selected from all applicants to be
added to the w aiting list. Once a household
is on the waiting list, priority selection for
U pholstery C leaning • S ofa/L oveseat • Pet Stains • Flood R estorations
vouchers will be provided for seniors, per
sons with disabilities, and people who are
working or engaged in education or training
program s.
The Section 8 program currently pro
vides rent assistance to about 8,700 house
holds.
For inform ation, visit hom eforw ard.org.
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