Local News
Police
Internet Essentials
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In July 2011, police shot a man with a
beanbag gun and tased him because he
wouldn’t raise his hands. The man had hit
his mother and previously was reported to
have a sword, but police could see his hands
and he had no weapon at the time.
The investigation came after a string of
high profile cases involving police use of
force. Portland Police Bureau has paid out
more than $6 million in settlements in the
last two decades, including $1.6 million to
the family of James Chasse, Jr., and $1.2
million to the family of Aaron Campbell.
Chasse, a mentally ill man, died in police
custody after an encounter with officers that
broke 16 of his ribs and punc-
tured his lung. Campbell, a
young father, was distraught fol-
lowing the death of his brother
that same morning. Both men
were unarmed.
Perez said the violations were
partially connected to the bro-
ken safety net, and Oregon’s
failure to provide community
care to people with mental ill-
ness. Portland is not unique in
its problems Perez said. Police
officers have a more difficult
job than in the past because of
the number of mentally ill people on the
street without support or resources. Often
police officers had just two choices of
where to take a mentally ill person: the
emergency room or the jail.
And he gave some credit to Mayor
Adams, the police chief and the community
for being willing to work to repair the prob-
lem without waiting for the results of the
report. Some of the recommended changes
already are underway, he said. One example
is that the police bureau has appointed a
monitor to look into all use of force inci-
dents.
But Perez also held the police bureau
accountable for poor policies, training,
supervision and discipline. And he criti-
cized the police complaints process as
“counterproductive” and, “so Byzantine
that it undercuts the efficacy of the system.”
Hardesty said she agreed with Perez and
City leaders that the suggested reforms will
help everyone, not only people with mental
illness because, “they will fundamentally
change how the police engage with people.”
However she said she doesn’t buy the
argument that all that’s needed is to fix our
broken mental health system and hire more
police. “…the entire department has to go
through some fundamental changes in order
for the public to ever have confidence that
we have the right people in the right job to
provide public safety,” she said.
Hardesty said the Albina Ministerial
Alliance will monitor progress. “The stick
is the federal court,” she said. “So if they
don’t do what they need to do, we will take
them to court over and over and over again
to make it happen.”
Several pages in the report were devoted
to the “tense relationship between PPB and
the African American community.
“We heard consistent and serious con-
cerns from across the city that members this
community, particularly the African Ameri-
can community, believe that they are
subjected to bias stops and force based on
their race. Although these tensions predate
Chief Reese’s tenure, they persist to this
day,” Perez said.
Hispanic students, 21 percent of Asian stu-
dents, and 44 percent of American
Indian/Alaska Native students attend
schools that do not offer calculus.
“Oregon needs to ensure that schools and
students have opportunities to meet a high-
er bar. Not enough students—least of all
math and science are taught well, students
enjoy them. And by high school many more
students should take advanced math and sci-
ence courses that will help them make the
transition to college.
“Oregon needs to ensure that schools and
students have opportunities to meet a high-
school-accountability equation. When
schools are on the hook for science, they
may devote more time to the subject.”
Oregon is one of 44 states to raise the bar
on math and science education by introduc-
ing the Common Core Standards. Designed
by the National Governors Association
Center for Best Practices, the standards are
designed to prepare students for college.
Oregon is rated better than the national
average in some areas. In many states,
schools with the highest need receive less
funding. The report found that’s not the case
in Oregon.
“High-poverty districts in Oregon spend
$7,695 per student,” it says. “Low-poverty
districts in Oregon, by contrast, spend
$7,539 per student.”
However that doesn’t mean teachers have
adequate resources.
Just 52 percent of Oregon 8th grade sci-
ence teachers say they have the resources
they need, compared to 58 percent across
the US. For teachers of Black students that
number drops to 47 percent.
Several pages in the report
were devoted to the ‘tense
relationship’ between PPB
and the African American
community
members hope will be included in the final
binding agreement between the City and the
U.S. Department of Justice. That agreement
will be signed Oct. 12.
Attorneys from the DOJ’s Office of Civil
Rights looked at more than 700 incident
reports, interviewed citizens and held a
community meeting during the investiga-
tion. In the report they cite five specific
cases:
In May 2010, a man who would not obey
orders to be handcuffed was pepper sprayed
in the face and tased four times.
In December 2010, officers repeatedly
tased and punched a man because he would
not offer his hands to be handcuffed as offi-
cers took him to the hospital.
In August 2010, officers repeatedly tased
a naked, screaming man who ran towards
them during a welfare check. He was in a
diabetic health crisis.
In May 2011, a man who aimed a kick at
an officer and missed was thrown to the
ground and punched in the face 7-10 times.
BRUCE POINSETTE PHOTO
what the community has known for some
time. The community has been saying this
for years and years and years, so I was
thrilled that we have confirmation now from
the Department of Justice that these prac-
tices are, in fact, taking place.
“But more importantly that we now have
the federal government as a partner in mak-
ing sure that the fundamental changes that
have to happen throughout Portland Police
Bureau will take place.”
Hardesty is a spokesperson for The Albi-
na Ministerial Alliance, which has been
meeting with Perez and his team. The AMA
is working on a list of action items, that
Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith and local families at the
Albina Head Start McCormack Matthews childcare center celebrated the
second year of the Comcast Internet Essentials Program with Albina Head
Start CEO Ronnie Herndon, in background. The effort helps low-income
families with children who receive a free or reduced price school lunch
to get a laptop computer, software and basic training on how to use
them. In Oregon and SW Washington, more than 4,000 individuals are
now connected to the Internet through the project.
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STEM
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race and gender impacts students chances of
advancing in STEM subjects. In Oregon,
just 3 percent of Black students and 2 per-
cent of Hispanic and Native American
students take advanced placement math
classes. That’s compared to 6 percent of
White and 23 percent of Asian students. The
achievement gap is similar in science. In
2011, fewer than 1 percent of Oregon’s
Black and Native American students scored
a 3 or better in either advanced placement
math or science. That’s the minimum most
colleges require for class credit.
And the gender gap in STEM subjects
means girls too are losing opportunities to
enter highly paid STEM careers.
“In every state and the District of Colum-
bia, girls are less likely than boys to score a
three or higher on AP math and science
tests,” the report says.
In fact, many students attend schools that
don’t even offer classes in Calculus – an
important college-preparation math class.
That’s true across the country, not just in
Oregon, the report found.
“According to newly analyzed data from
the U.S. Department of Education Office of
Civil Rights, 25 percent of white students,
35 percent of black students, 29 percent of
‘High-poverty districts in Oregon spend $7,695
per student,’ it says. ‘Low-poverty districts in
Oregon, by contrast, spend $7,539 per student’
minorities—are exposed to challenging
content to prepare them for college and
careers. Girls lag behind boys in 8th-grade
math, and few eighth graders have teachers
with undergraduate majors in the subject.
There are worrisome spots in science, too.”
Too little time for science in Oregon ele-
mentary schools sets students up to fail, the
report says. With the right equipment, and
well trained teachers, science can be a lot
more fun, from the earliest years. When
er bar. Not enough students—least of all
minorities—are exposed to challenging
content to prepare them for college and
careers.”
The report recommends that Oregon
schools be required to meet science per-
formance standards.
“Oregon should raise its science expecta-
tions and also hold schools accountable for
students’ performance,” it says. “Science
can get the short shrift if it is left out of the
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September 19, 2012
The Portland Skanner Page 3