Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 1999)
SpilyayTymoo Eleven concerns regarding Vie following is a statement from Tribal Council Chairman Olney Patt, Jr. concerning the restructuring of the Public Safety Branch. It has been a little more than a year since a very unfortunate incident stunned our community. The death of a tribal member while in custody of the Public Safety branch resulted in some very serious soul searching on the part of the Public Safety branch, members of the Tribal Council, and people in our community. Without revisiting all the details of what has transpired since that eventful day, I must say that in the final analysis, it is the responsibility of Tribal Council to ensure that our Reservation is safe, not only from criminal elements but also from fire and other natural disasters that threaten us on occasion. As a result of this incident, a series of public hearings were held. The commurtity-at-large expressed concerns mat resulted in Tribal Council action that brought about the review and restructuring of the Public Safety branch. Concerned citizens have made their feelings known, and I think Tribal Council has acted in a responsible manner. Although we have not pleased everyone, I think we have acted in the best interest of the people. The Public Safety branch has made tremendous progress since that distressing incident in August, 1998. The following is a response to concerns that were attached to a Tribal Members Voters Letter circulated by some in the community. 1. No known administration action has been taken on the matter of the snakebite victim who died in the detention . .facility. Most 'personnel ar'e,eitfef jn paid administrative leave or are back ,. j on the job. The tribe has not offered ONABEN classes to begin ONABEN classes will begin Sep tember 28 with the following classes offered:: "You, mi Your Bwsmess Idea'?, is a two-week series of classes de signed to "discover" tribal and local entrepreneurs and encourage the de velopment of our business idea be yond 'just an idea' beginning on Tuesday, September 28, and Octo ber 5th from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $10. ' .. "Starting A Successful Busi nfigsjl is a ten-week series of classes designed to guide participants through the business plan writing process. The course materials and September 1 999 Commodities Distribution Schedule Sept. 9, 10-8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 13, 14-6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 15-1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 16, 17-8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 20-24-8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 24-Food Demonstration Warehouse 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sept. 27-Last day to pick up Commodities, 8:30 a.m. 10 4:45 p.m. Sept. 28-30-Closed for End-of-Month Inventory. Hours for all other business are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. , . - . . Bobby Eagleheaii tnbal member and a resident of Warm Springs is an unemployed construction worker , looking for work. Eagleheart, a trained carpenter has been seeking employment regularty at the new senior facility construction site. According to the construction contract, the contractor must hire 20 percent tribal members. Eagleheart saw only non-tribal members working at the work site and thought the contractor was being unfair. According to the project manager Herb Graybael, Bobby Eagleheart will be , hired during this month along with other tribal member applicants. Cement foundations had to be poured first before the contractor is able to hire any more workers. reparations to the victim's family. Five individuals were placed on administrative leave to allow enough time for this matter to be thoroughly investigated and reviewed. The end results of that process are summarized below. Police Sergeant - 30 days' disciplinary suspension without pay. Demoted to Police Officer. Police Officer - Two months' disciplinary suspension without pay. Resigned. FireMedic - Two months' disciplinary suspension without pay. Never released from probation. Resigned. Corrections Officer - No culpable fault established. Returned to duty. Resigned. Ambulance Driver No culpable fault established. 2. The Deputy General Manager of Public Safety has not adequately performed her job duties, on the best interest of the Warm Springs community or the tribal membership. She is back on the job with no adverse action; however, it is our understanding that she is doing "special projects of senior management and not devoting her full attention and time to Public Safety. " When the remainder of the Public Safety Branch employees need her support and leadership the most, she is assigned to other duties. Anita Jackson has been reassigned as the Director of Legal Services as a result of the restructuring of the Public Safety Branch. 3. Numerous unsolved murders, burglaries, vandalism, scores of sexual assault victims (minor children) who are at the point of suffering lifetime mental and emotional harm due to inactivity by local law enforcement officials. In the past 10 years, there has been one unsolved murder on,' the Warm Springs Reservation. All other murder cases have been closed by arrest. individual counseling sessions allow participants to work through the busi ness planning process. The end re sult is a comprehensive business plan that can be taken to financial institu tions for loan considerations. This class will begin Tuesday, October 12 through December 14th from 6 to 9 p.m. and will be held every Tuesday thereafter. The cost is $100. Both classes will be held at the Tribal Housing conference room, 1238 Veteran's Street, Warm Springs, OR. For further informa tion or to sign up, please call Trudy at the Small Business Development Center (541) 553-35923593. mpm-... ilu FV" ' m : Warm Springs, Oregon Public Safety branch addressed by Tribal Council The last homicide in Warm Springs occurred in February of this year. Eleven days after the murder, two individuals were arrested and have been charged in federal court. They await trial in September. During recent years, the police department has maintained a 30 clearance rate for burglary and a 44 clearance rate for vandalism. (A crime is "cleared" when a final disposition is made. In 90 of , the cases, this occurs when the person responsible is arrested.) For the first seven months of 1999, the Police Department has investigated 17 sexual assault cases. Eight of those cases are . being prosecuted in Tribal Court. 4. No action has or is being taken to implement community policing programs, thereby placing -the local law enforcement officials with the label of not knowing what is going on in our community because of manpower shortages. The Community Policing Division has instituted a number of programs that not only enhance communications, but , also are designed to build a strong partnership with the community. These programs are' briefly described below. Community Service Reporting System. Twenty r victims of property crimes are ; surveyed each month regarding the quality of police service , provided by the officer(s) assigned to their respective cases. 78 of those surveyed ; ; have responded. 87 of those ' r-, who responded had favorable remarks on the quality of service rendered by the Officers. Neighborhood Watch. A ; number of Neighborhood Watch N' groups are in place, with the most active being the County Line group, WfllftPojnt and Senior Center.FIousirig,, , group. We now have 121 ' v"3t-3 residents who are involved in- ' ' Relicensing- ' ; Continued from page 1 fencing historical landmarks for preservation, while allowing restricted public access. . During Thursday's 'meetings, recreation was discussed. Budgeting was address for development and maintenance of public facilities such as roads, camping facilities, recreation facilities, Off-shore overnight boat moorage, debris removal, and education for the public. Along with the budgeting of such facilities, environmental impacts were discussed during the meeting as questions on boat moorage and it's effect on wildlife arose. Other concerns included the removal of woody debris from the reservoir, which flow in from various rivers. The debris can often provide habitats for various wildlife, yet pose a danger to boaters. While the meetings were meant to inform agencies as well as the public of the intent of the Tribes' for the future license, it also served as an editing process for the Tribes? Information and suggestions received will help change the Draft License Application before the final submittal to FERC in December. 0 1i timrril m our Neighborhood Watch Program. Scared Straight. Community Police Officers take groups of young people to the Oregon State Penitentiary. The youths view prison life and talk with inmates about their existence. Warm Springs Elders Court. This court is being developed to have selected Elders sit as Judees to hold our youne offenders accountable for their behavior, to keep our community safe, and to help victims receive compensation for their losses. 5. Absolutely no enforcement actions in the area of illicit drug sales and usage. It is not safe to walk the streets of Warm Springs after dark for the criminal elements have outnumbered the police and many times the police are afraid to respond to situations without some type of backup. For the first seven months of 1999, the police department has arrested and prosecuted 31 drug dealers on the reservation. The Police Department now has full member status in CODE, the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Task Force. Through CODE, our officers have arrested a number of major drug suppliers in Madras who are known to deliver here in Warm Springs. These suppliers are being prosecuted in state and federal court Additionally, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Tribes was successful in acquiring an additional $190,000 in BIA funding that is specifically dedicated for narcotics enforcement. 6. Juvenile crimes, especially frimes of violence, are "dramatically on the rise with no response from our local law enforcement officials. The Police Department has , recorded 293 juvenile arrests , , during: the first seven months of 1999. In comparison, during the first seven months of 1998, the IHS Computer Specialist receives award From left to right, Russ Alger, Carolyn Stationed at the Health and Hu man Services Department Center in Rockville, Maryland, Admiral Fred Paavola, Chief Professional Officer for Pharmacy for the Public Health Service, visited Warm Springs on September 1. Admiral Paavola is responsible for all federal pharma cists which includes the Center for Disease Control, National Institute of Health, Bureau of Prisons, Immi Lake Billy Chinook Day celebration on tap Mark your calendars for September 18, 1999, The Cove Palisades State Park will be hosting the sixth annual Lake Billy Chinook Day celebration (LBCD). Again, the event promises to be a rewarding and enjoyable celebration to the lake and it's substantial resources. LBCD will include a wide variety of events, programsdisplays and entertaining activities reflecting the importance and diversity tothe greater Lake Billy Chinook area both ecologically and culturally. r! I & f Police Department recorded 220 juvenile arrests. This represents a 33 increase in juvenile arrests this year. In closely reviewing the juvenile arrests for 1999, it was found that 22 repeat offenders accounted for 110 of the 293 juvenile arrests. That is 37 of all the juvenile arrests. It could be inferred that these 22 repeat offenders are responsible for more man 35 of the juvenile crime in Warm Springs. 7. Violen t domestic abuse is on the rise with little or no response from the Branch of Public Safety. "Too many chiefs and not enough Indians." If there is no smoking gun...the experts do not make an immediate response to offer sewices to victims. During the first seven months of 1999, the Victims of Crime Services program has handled 116 cases. Most of these cases are domestic violence cases. In comparison, during the first seven months of 1998, Victims of Crime Services handled 38 cases. This represents a 300 increase in the number of cases handled. Victims of Crimes Services utilize shelter, intervention, mediation, training and dispute resolution in conjunction with criminal prosecution as a holistic approach to this problem. In July of this year, the Police Department established a policy that mandates officers who respond to domestic disturbance calls, to arrest the assailant when there is any apparent injury to the other individual(s) at the disturbance. 8. Too many new officers obtaining their basic training at the Tribes' expense and then transferring to a higher-paying job or to one with better benefits. In May of this year, the Tribes enhanced the salaries of the working line members QJhe police department .J" ."' ,.: In 1999, the Officers who have left the Police Department have Johnson, and Admiral Fred Paavola gration and Naturalization Program, Indian Health Service, and U.S. Coast Guard. Another responsibility for the Maryland resident is developing strategic direction for pharmacists within the U.S. Public Health Ser vice. The Admiral works with many entities such as the American Soci ety of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Pharmaceutical Association (APHA). The event also includes an annual clean up effort on all three arms of the lake, which is an important aspect of the event day and a very rewarding experience. Please join the award winning team and help make a positive difference in our area. There are many ways to become involved with LBCD. However you choose to participate, your support will greatly appreciated. For more information about Lake Billy Chinook Day, please call Paul Patton at 546-2873. September 9, 1999 3 taken positions with law enforcement agencies that are members of the State of Oregon Public Employees Retirement System. This retirement system affords police officers one of the best retirement packages in the nation. 9. Unqualified person(s) uvrking in the Tribes' legal aid department, not able to present the most ruditnetttary type of case on behalf of their clientele. Gene Smith, who has approximately 30 years of court experience as an advocate and law enforcement officer, was placed in charge of this department on June 15, 1999. Since his appointment, he has been aggressively representing his clients. 10. Nepotism and creating jobs for family members when all other jobs within the Tribal organization are at a freeze. At the direction of the Tribal Council, the freeze was set aside and positions were filled. The section of the Tribes Personnel Policy that addresses nepotism has not been violated. 11. Finally, there is no continuity in performance of duties provided by the Public Safety Branch. The detailed Investigations are afforded only those people who hold some type of status in the tribal organization. All others must be satisfied that they were given a statement form to fill out and then police officials file the report in a dead file cabinet, never to be looked at again. Since January of this year, the primary operational standard for the Warm Springs Police Department has been to be impartial, be independent of politics and make independent professional judgments, and act in the best interest of all the members of the community. This includes investigating all criminal cases consistently and objectively. Admiral Paavola represents the pharmacists that are commissioned officers in those areas. While in Warm Springs, Admiral Paavola did some local site visits and toured the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Clinic. With the assistance of Russ Alger, Service Unit Director for the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center, Paavola awarded Carolyn Johnson, the Warm Springs IHS Computer Specialist with a Commendation Medal. The medal was awarded to Carloyn Johnson for the develop ment, implementation and manage ment of Indian Health Service Phar macy Entrant. Prior to her current position, Johnson also served as the IHS Chief Pharmacist from 1990 to 1992. A small gathering celebrating Johnson's event took place Septem ber 1, at the IHS building with re freshments, cookies, veggies, and other home made goodies. Con gratulations' Carloyn Johnson from all your friends and the staff at The Warm Springs IHS.