Spiiyay Tymoo. Warm Springs, Oregon
March 21. 2002
Page 9
Police: focus
Continued from page 1
A visit from the Kids First team,
though, is an opportunity to check
on a number of health and safety is
sues, said Medina.
In making a Kids First visit, the
police officers, health and fire officials
spend about 15 minutes at a residence.
This is a friendly visit, not one of
police investigation or enforcement,
said Lt. Stoney Miller.
The Kids First representatives
speak with the resident regarding
child safety and health matters, fire
prevention, possible stray-dog prob
lems, and so forth.
The resident can bring up and dis
cuss any' public health or safety issue
that may be on her or his mind.
Last year, the Kids First team vis
ited just over 600 homes on the reser
vation. They checked on the health
and safety of about 400 children, said
Miller.
The next Kids First door-to-door
campaign is scheduled for March 26.
The Simriasho community is on the
list of future areas that will see the
Kids First team, said Medina.
The CSR program
Another important component of
the community policing program is
the community service report, or
CSR.
These reports provide the police
department with important informa
tion regarding particular incidents
involving the police.
For example, a resident reports an
incident of theft, or vandalism or as
sault. A police officer responds to the
call.
A few days later, the department
will contact the person who reported
the crime. The department will ask
the person to rate how the officer
handled the situation.
"We ask the person, how did we
do?" said Courtney. "How was our
response time? Did the officer show
a sincere interest in helping?"
The person is asked to rate the
department's response. as fair, goodj
poor or excellent. 1 '
The person is asked if he or she
may have any constructive criticism
for the department.
Review of the reports allows the
department to identify potential
problem areas. At the same time, if
an officer did something good, the
CSR brings this to the attention of
the department.
The CSR program so far has been
used only by the police department,
Life Skills: Addresses issues unique
Continued from page 7
The current Life Skills program
began last year in Warm Springs.
The earlier graduating classes in
cluded four or five people, but the
course has since grown in popular
ity. Some of the students are referred
to Life Skills by their employers or
by potential employers.
Priscilla Frank also made an effort
at reaching out to community mem
bers who might otherwise not have
been inclined to come forward and
enroll in the program.
She visited people's homes, talked
with them and explained how Life
Skills could be of help. Frank devel
oped the life Skills curriculum based
on a program that was offered
through the Central Oregon Intergov
ernmental Council (COIC).
She took the standard curriculum
and modified it to better suit the
unique needs of Indian people.
Frank has worked for 26 years in
the area of mental health, human and
social services.
She worked as a treatment super
visor for drug and alcohol prevention
programs.
Seven years ago, while working at
Indian Health Services, she was re
cruited to coordinate a Life Skills Self
Sufficicncy program.
She took the job because program
funding appeared to be in place for a
fivc-ycar period. After two years,
though, the funding was cut and she
was out of a job.
She went to work at Warm Springs
Forest Products Industries. Then, like
is on community partnership
but the plan this year is to expand the
use of these reports to the Parole and
Probation Department, said
Courtney.
The person on parole or probation
will be asked to review how the pa
role and probation officer is doing.
Questions to the person might in
clude: Has the officer tried to help you
find a job? What has the officer done
toward helping you become a produc
tive part of the community?
"The idea is that we are trying to
help, rather than just trying to revoke
the person's parole or probation,"
said Courtney.
The CSR program in the future
will also be implemented in Fire and
Safety, he said.
Warm Springs Police adopted the
community policing approach to law
enforcement in 1999.
This was around the time when a
number of tribal members were voic
ing concerns that the Warm Springs
public safety branch was ineffective,
and even in some cases a detriment
to the community.
The snakebite death of Luther
Danzuka in the summer of 1998
prompted the circulation of a petition
that, when adopted by tribal mem
bers, suspended the budget of the
public safety branch.
The budget suspension was to re
main in effect until certain terms of
the petition were implemented. The
petition listed concerns including:
"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..."
And, "juvenile crimes, especially
crimes of violence, are dramatically
on the rise with no response from our
local law enforcement officials."
And, "there is absolutely no en
forcement action in the area of illicit
drug sales and usage..."
And, "violent domestic abuse is on
.thetisewM
from the branch of public safety..."
Passage of the petition led the
tribes to conduct an analysis of the
Public Safety Branch. This led to the
hiring of a new general manager of
the branch, former Bend police chief
David Malkin.
Last year, Courtney, who has 13
years of law enforcement experience,
succeeded Malkin as public safety
general manager. Courtney is police
a number of other mill workers, she
was laid off.
At this point she developed a new
job description for her Life Skills Self
Sufficiency coordinator-facilitator
position. She approached COIC with
the proposal, and the organization
provided some funding.
The tribes also contributed
through the displaced worker fund.
Wendell Jim at the Education Depart
ment provided the space for the class,
and Life Skills resumed in Warm
Springs last summer.
The course has funding to last for
one more six-week session, but the
hope among everyone involved is that
more funds can be secured, allowing
the program to continue into the fu
ture. At the Life Skills graduating cer
emony last week, Charlotte
I Icrkshan, counselor at the Commu
nity Counseling Center, spoke of how
Life Skills will benefit the graduates
in the future.
The course, she said, has shown the
students how to deal with trauma and
difficult times. As Indian people, the
students are resilient and survivors,
said 1 Icrkshan.
"The bonding you've done
through this program will stay with
you," she said.
The certificate that the students
received upon graduating includes a
summary of the goals of the Life Skills
Self-Sufficiency program.
Each student, the certificate reads,
is ready "to uphold and respect my
individuality, my family and my com-
chief, and also manager of Fire and
Safety, and Warm Springs Correc
tions.
As the police department was be
ing re-organized a few years ago, some
new officers were added to the patrol
staff. There are now 18 patrol offic
ers. But like the rest of the tribal gov
ernment, law enforcement is facing
budget cuts.
This year, for instance, because of
a 4-percent budget reduction, law
enforcement has lost one detective,
one prosecutor and corrections secu
rity officer.
This followed last year's elimina
tion of two patrol officer jobs.
"Next year, we could see a 10- to
15-percent cut, but we're hoping that
Tribal Council won't allow that to
happen to the Public Safety Branch,"
said Courtney.
A simple message
The tribes' law enforcement
agency has seen significant change
over the past few years, including the
change in leadership, and adoption of
the community policing philosophy
and programs.
Of course, over a period of just a
few years, not every concern has been,
or can be addressed.
Asked for her opinion, Arlene
Smith, who was the common-law
wife of the late Luther Danzuka, com
mented that she has not seen signifi
cant change in the Public Safety
Branch.
Response times by public safety
personnel - especially when more
than one emergency is happening at
once on the reservation - seem very
long, Smith said.
Also, she said, drug and alcohol
abuse, and youth violence are wide
spread on the reservation, with law
enforcement seemingly doing little to
curb the problems.
These are the kinds of concerns
that Don Courtney wants to hear.
"I have a simple message," said
Courtney. "If you have a problem
.with a police, officer, a, (dispatcher, an
EMT or firefighter, then come and
see me. If I don't know what the con
cerns are, then how can I address
them?"
A fundamental part of community
policing, he said, is participation and
communication from the commu
nity. Or as Lt. Miller says, "The com
munity is the police, and the police
is the community."
to Indian people
Life Skills graduate Virginia McKinley
receives her Certificate of
Completion of the course.
munity through my acquired skills
and knowledge, and to apply myself
with dignity and spirit."
For information on the Life Skills
program, call Priscilla Frank at 553
3416. The following people, the recent
graduates of the course, are to be com
mended: Tammy Robinson, Monica
Wahnctah, Tonya Mitchell, Kelly Sam
and Demus Martinez, Timothy
Kalama, Eric Dclrosc, I larrison Davis
Jr., Willard Poitra and Virginia
McKinley, Jeremy McKinley, Frances
Smith, Christopher Chcc, Ronald
Tonahcot, Virgil Orange Jr. and Misty
Golden, Michelle Golden, Martha
Anderson, Charles Itcllon and Tina
Polk.
L
Danzuka: snakebite death
could have been avoided
Continued from page 1
Danzuka returned to the home
of his friend, William Wainanwit
Sr., who called 9-1-1 for help.
Within a few minutes, a tribal po
lice officer arrived, and then an
ambulance arrived.
The ambulance was on the scene
for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile,
the police officer examined
Danzuka, who was growing weak
from the venom of the rattlesnake.-
The public safety personnel on
the scene fatally misjudged the situ
ation, determining that Danzuka
had not been bitten by a snake. In
stead, they thought he was acting
weak and delirious from alcohol.
The fang marks on his arm, they
thought, were from barbed wire,
not a rattlesnake.
Danzuka had been drinking. But
he was in fact suffering from the
snake venom.
Rather than being transported to
the hospital by ambulance,
Danzuka was handcuffed and taken
to the Warm Spring Jail.
While in his cell, he was calling
for help, but the corrections offic
ers at first ignored him.
After several hours had passed,
though, it was clear that Danzuka
had been telling the truth about the
snakebite. His arm had swollen up,
and he was having trouble breath
ing.
The ambulance was called again,
and this time Danzuka was trans
ported to Mountain View Hospi
tal, where was pronounced dead at
5 a.m. on Aug. 5.
At home the previous night,
Arlene "Leta" Smith, Danzuka's
common-law wife for 17 years,
heard over her police scanner that
someone had been bitten by a
rattlesnake.
She had no idea that the person
was her husband until the follow
ing day, when Don Courtney, a po-,
lice detective at the time, arrived at
Smith's home to tell her the terrible
news.
In the following weeks, many
members of the Warm Springs
community grew increasingly an
gry at the public safety branch.
eople circulated and adopted a
petition calling for suspension of
the public safety branch budget
Meeting to discuss
Community members are invited
to attend a dinner and school plan
ning session regarding Jefferson
County Middle School.
The meeting is set for 5 to 7 p.m.,
Thursday, March 28, at the Warm
Springs Elementary School Cafeteria.
Program helps purchase
Individual Development Accounts
(IDA Program) is coming to Warm
Springs to help tribal members inter
ested in purchasing their dream home
or going into business for themselves.
This program will help tribal
members develop financial planning
skills, decision making skills and will
include individual counseling for
those who want it.
This program will help you in your
everyday life in distinguishing be
Timber documents available
Notice of Availability Number
2002-02. Notice of Availability of a
Finding of No Significant Impact of
the Final Project Asscsmcnt, Road
side Timber Sale issued by the Super
intendent, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Warm Springs Agency, dated Septem
ber 23, 2001.
This notice advises the public that
the Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) on the Final Project
Asscsmcnt, Roadside Timber Sale, is
available for public review.
Notice of Availability Number
2002-01. Notice of Availability of a
Finding of No Significant Impact of
until the branch met certain condi
tions. The Tribal Council commis
sioned a study of public safety, and
then took action to meet conditions
of the petition. As part of the reor
ganization and coordination of pub
lic safety, the different departments
of the branch - police and correc
tions, rire and ambulance - were
placed under direction of one gen
eral manager, while two other di
rectors were put in charge of lega!
service and prosecutorial services.
Other changes have included
adoption of the community polic
ing program, such as Kids First
community service reports, and
other means of involving triba
members in the work of the public
safety department. The changes
have helped address concerns ex
pressed in the petition.
The changes, though, are no help
for Arlene Smith. "I still miss
Luther," she was saying the other
day. Her children are growing up,
she said, without their father.
On behalf of her daughters,
Smith filed a lawsuit against the
tribes and the hospital for the
wrongful death of Luther. The case
was settled last year. The tribes' in
surance company agreed to pay
$150,000, part of which went to the
law firm that represented Smith.
After the legal expenses were
paid, Smith's two daughters re
ceived $89,577. The hospital's in
surance paid another $10,000. The
money is no real compensation for
the loss of Luther, Smith said.
Don Courtney, police chief and
general manager of public safety, has
no hesitation in admitting that on
the night of August 4, 1998, the
Warm Springs police, EMS and the
jail all made mistakes. The hospital
also apparently was at fault.
Danzuka was not given anti-venom
any time before he died.
"Mistakes and misjudgments
were made, otherwise this1 man'
would not be dead," said Courtney.
"If there is an apology to make, I
would certainly be the first in line
to make it."
The death of Luther Danzuka
was a tragic mistake, he said. The
hope is that training and experience
will prevent another such incident
from happening.
middle school
Cost is $2.50.
The meeting is intended to hear
input on how the middle school
might be improved. A similar meet
ing will happen in Madras, at the
middle school cafeteria, on March 28,
from 6 to 8 p.m.
homes, start business
tween wants and needs. Here arc
some of the areas of life the IDA Pro
gram will influence you with, identi
fying values and goals, developing
strategies for reducing spending, in
creasing income, managing credit,
creating goals and communicating
about money matters.
F'or more information contact Jack
Quinn at the Small Business Devel
opment Center, 553-2542.
the Integrated Resource Management
Plan for the F orested Area (1RMP I)
Revised, issued by the Superinten
dent, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Warm
Springs Agency, dated March 14,
2001.
This notice advises the public that
the Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) on the Integrated Resource
Management Plan for the Forested
Area (IRMP I) Revised, is available
for public review.
Anyone interested in obtaining a
copy of the F'OXSI should contact
Gerald I Iciulrickson, Environmental
Coordinator, 1UA, P.O. Box 1239,
Warm Springs. Phone, 553-2421.