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11,1 ^Iortlanh Gfrbseruer
January 2, 2013
2012 Year in Review
The Portland Observer looks back at some of our top stories from 2012
A Voice
beyond
Category
Feb. 8 - Portland Art
educator and poet
Turiya Autry speaks to
what it means to be a
black woman and all the
things that entails.
Your strong
voice & tireless
advocacy
will be missed
Whatever It Takes
Jan. 25 - Activist Cameron Whitten, a 20-year-old northeast Port­
land resident, arrested several times in solidarity with the Occupy
Portland movement, fights social injustice by entering the May
Primary race fo r Portland mayor.
"I Burdened
by Rent
Feb. 29 - Although sounds o f con­
struction echo throughout the Port­
land area as new housing units are
built, developers are having trouble
meeting the increasingly high de­
mand from residents who depend
on lower rent to make ends meet,
continued
Thank you
for your service
to our community,
Charles Washington
1952-2012
Portland Observer Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
FredMeyer
16-12-4-75973 (DRC.CNG.TXM)
on page 4
Driving High
c o n t i n u e d f r o m fron t
Portland officers are certified to give
to determine how impaired a person
is by a controlled substance.
Certified officers like Ladd can
give the evaluation anywhere like
theprecinctorjail. Ifa person blows
.00, the officer can rule out alcohol
as the problem and look for other
signs of drug use by continuing the
rest of the 11 steps.
“The process we use to evaluate
is not to pinpoint the drugs a person
is on,” said Ladd, “It’s to eliminate
the possibility of drugs they might
be on.”
The last step is a urine analysis,
which in Oregon, is the preferred
method because it is more affordable
and less intrusive than a blood analy­
sis. Only DRE certified officers can
ask a person for a urine sample.
Police can only draw blood by
issuing a warrant through a judge.
Blood samples are typically only
taken in high-profile cases like a
fatal crash.
If THC toxicity surfaces in a
person’s urine or blood, police can
confirm their suspicions as to
whether or not the person was un­
der the influence of a controlled
substance, said Ladd.
Police in both states still have the
right to make an arrest that leads to
conviction based on their testimony
as to whether or not the person was
impaired at the time they were pulled
over. Blood and urine results are
either confirmation or data.
“If a person is impaired, it doesn’t
matter if it’ s medicinal marijuana or
bought off the street, crack or co­
caine. Impairment is impairment and
it doesn’t change,” Ladd said.