Paper tells readers, "Having an Emergency? Don’t Call the Police"

[SlyPokerDog]

Local Portland newspaper tells readers not to call Police.

Having an Emergency? Don’t Call the Police

February 15, 2010

The recent sorry string of preventable incidents of police violence is pushing the local community into a state of fear and anger that will soon launch Portland into the national spotlight.

On Tuesday, Feb. 16, Jesse Jackson speaks at the Maranatha Church about the violent death of Aaron Campbell at the hands of a police marksman – and many of us are wondering why the police ever had to be on the scene of a grieving, depressed young man who subsequently died of a rifle shot to the back.

The fact is, we at The Skanner News simply have to warn our readers away from calling the police when they are in a crisis situation. We cannot have faith that innocents won’t get caught in the firing line when trigger-finger officers arrive in force. We need to start solving our own problems.

There is a sense in the community of desperation at this situation never seems to change because there are no consequences to the officers who do the shooting.

We should be more like our Asian brothers and sisters and solve our own problems. We as adults need to talk to these young men to de-escalate the situation ourselves. In fact, Campbell’s family was trying to do that very thing. His young cousin told The Skanner News they had talked him into putting the gun down and giving himself up to the police – sadly he was dead by the time they were able to pass through roadblocks to the scene. It's a shame anyone called 911 at all.

As Rev. T. Allen Bethel and others spoke so forcefully about the case last week, we would like to add that our religious and community leaders could also, as part of the solution, start making it a point to teach young people how to solve problems and de-escalate potential violence. As long as we expect some force outside ourselves to fix our situation, we will always be disappointed in the result.

And this is a particularly bad case. Even the Multnomah County Grand Jury that exonerated Officer Ron Frashour earlier this month has taken the uncharacteristic step of writing an open letter of protest to District Attorney Mike Schrunk outlining multiple problems with the police action that resulted in Campbell’s death Jan. 28. (Read the full text of the letter on our website, www.theskanner.com ).

We commend Schrunk for releasing it to the public, Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman for already stepping up and outlining new measures to address a few of the community fears around police mistakes such as this, and Chief Rosie Sizer for making an effort at transparency regarding policies and procedures that led to the tragedy.

However none of that excuses the most shocking aspect in this case -- the use of a police attack dog, which, the Grand Jury letter implies, may well have been set on Campbell just before he was fatally shot for alleged noncompliance. The Grand Jury letter indicates that no other officer except Frashour saw Campbell’s hands move toward the back waistband of his pants. It begs the question: Was Campbell running away from an attack dog loosed on him by an officer, only to be shot because he was running away?

Each and every city leader should be aware of the special brand of fear – and repulsion – inspired by the use of police dogs against unarmed African Americans in this country. The tools Bull Connor used to beat down Civil Rights marchers, the weapons used by enslavers against those who would have escaped from bondage, police dogs have no place on the scene of a “welfare check” on a suicidally-despondent Black man.

We are watching with interest how the tragic death of Aaron Campbell is soon to play out on the national stage. But in the meantime – if you are in crisis in Portland, think twice before you bring in law enforcement.

James Chasse, Kendra James, James Jahar Perez, Jose Santos Victor Mejia Poot, Damon Lowery, Duane Anthony Shaw, Byron Hammick, Deonte Keller. What do all these people have in common? All were killed at the hands of the police. Think twice.

http://www.theskanner.com/article/view/id/11391

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Brings to mind one of my all time favorite Puplic Enemy songs

[video=youtube;oJ-ldcnhsLY]

 

[NJNetz]

Maybe they would care more if they were actually paid reasonable salaries.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Maybe they would care more if they were actually paid reasonable salaries.

Huh? Portland police are paid a very fair wage and their retirement pensions and benefits are some of the best in the entire nation. Insanely good.

 

[barfo]

Huh? Portland police are paid a very fair wage and their retirement pensions and benefits are some of the best in the entire nation. Insanely good.

Maybe by reasonable he meant "less"?

barfo

 

[Ed O]

I'm no expert, but this seems like a very irresponsible thing to write. Is that person going to be accountable for the first time that cops are not called and things escalate into a shootout and innocent people are hurt or killed?

Again: not an expert, but extrapolating the efficacy of police action based on a handful of events seems to be a poor use of the available facts, and the "cure" here seems way worse than the disease.

Also: do African Americans really have some sort of racial memory where they're more afraid of dogs because slavers used to use them when slaves would try to escape? That seems like a surreal suggestion to me...

Ed O.

 

[jlprk]

I'm no expert, but this seems like a very irresponsible thing to write. Is that person going to be accountable for the first time that cops are not called and things escalate into a shootout and innocent people are hurt or killed?

The first time? Oh, when the cops aren't called. The end of the editorial lists a bunch of times it has happened. When they were called and killed someone.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I'm no expert, but this seems like a very irresponsible thing to write. Is that person going to be accountable for the first time that cops are not called and things escalate into a shootout and innocent people are hurt or killed?

Again: not an expert, but extrapolating the efficacy of police action based on a handful of events seems to be a poor use of the available facts, and the "cure" here seems way worse than the disease.

Also: do African Americans really have some sort of racial memory where they're more afraid of dogs because slavers used to use them when slaves would try to escape? That seems like a surreal suggestion to me...

Ed O.

I think it's sensationalism and very irresponsible. Just a small struggling newspaper trying to attract some attention during Jesse Jackson's visit.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

You stay classy, Portland.

 

[Ed O]

The first time? Oh, when the cops aren't called. The end of the editorial lists a bunch of times it has happened. When they were called and killed someone.

Eight or so times. Out of hundreds or thousands of calls. And none of those involved shootouts with civilians being killed because there was no order imposed.

My question is whether that writer will accept responsibility for encouraging irresponsible civic behavior if/when there is a shootout thanks to the cops not being called and multiple innocent people are killed in the crossfire.

I doubt it, for some reason.

Ed O.

 

[Nikolokolus]

If I was non-white or poor I would never call the Portland police unless I had no choice. There's been a pattern of excessive force and overreaction for some time, and I think a lot of it is an ingrained culture that can trace its roots back to the Kroeker regime.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'm no expert, but this seems like a very irresponsible thing to write. Is that person going to be accountable for the first time that cops are not called and things escalate into a shootout and innocent people are hurt or killed?

Again: not an expert, but extrapolating the efficacy of police action based on a handful of events seems to be a poor use of the available facts, and the "cure" here seems way worse than the disease.

Also: do African Americans really have some sort of racial memory where they're more afraid of dogs because slavers used to use them when slaves would try to escape? That seems like a surreal suggestion to me...

Ed O.

Yeah, I wonder if they realize how many times the police are called every day. On balance, if you weighed the times the police are called and nobody is shot, to the handful of times that someone has been shot, it would make this argument very stupid. Accidental shootings happen. These guys aren't perfect. They're humans. They make judgment errors. Of course they should be punished if they were in the wrong, and we should never ignore these kinds of mistakes, but to hold the PPB responsible as a whole because of a small number of cases such as these is very stupid.

Oh, and Vinyard, most police departments in Oregon START their officers out at between $3500-$4000 per month, with benefits. That's pretty damn good for a job that doesn't require a bachelors degree.

PPB requires some college, but most departments don't require anything but a high school diploma and 21 years of age for employment. The overall process to become a cop is VERY long and tedious. It takes between 6 months to a year before you get the job you applied for. There's a written test, a physical, oral board interview, lie detector test and psych eval. Then you spend another three to six months training at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, learning how to become a cop. So a candidate is looking at up to a year before they finally put on the uniform and carry the gun.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I think people should think twice before calling the police.

There are some young individuals running around with a badge and a gun . . . and for a grand jury to find that these people are not being trained correctly in Portland. . . WTF! You are literally giving the power of life and death to these officers . . . train them correctly!


As much as one might hold this writer morally responsible if someone didn't call the police and things went bad. Do you also give the writer a medal of honor if someone reads his article, doesn't call the police and avoids being shot to death?

 

[BlazerWookee]

"Newspaper," lol...

 

[Paxil]

There is a pattern of paranoia that is for sure.

I've had friend's that were very paranoid against the police... but I must say they all doing things that were against the law... they had a right to be paranoid. =)

If you don't trust the police... don't call them... but they will still do their jobs regardless.

It's_go_time... what are you talking about that people are running around without training? Oregon officers go through something like 20 weeks of training... double what I went through for basic training as a soldier.

Advising people not to call law enforcement or talk to law enforcement is a wonderful way to perpetuate crime don't you think? There are plenty of places that have gone down that route... some countries too... not nice places to live.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

There is a pattern of paranoia that is for sure.

I've had friend's that were very paranoid against the police... but I must say they all doing things that were against the law... they had a right to be paranoid. =)

If you don't trust the police... don't call them... but they will still do their jobs regardless.

It's_go_time... what are you talking about that people are running around without training? Oregon officers go through something like 20 weeks of training... double what I went through for basic training as a soldier.

Advising people not to call law enforcement or talk to law enforcement is a wonderful way to perpetuate crime don't you think? There are plenty of places that have gone down that route... some countries too... not nice places to live.

Have you read what citizens of Ptd (who had a chance to listen to Ptd police training) had to say. They wrote a scathing letter about PPB training. The commander acknowledge the letter and said changes will occur. That is what I am talking about.

I don't care how long they train (never said they weren't trained at all). . . they need to be trained properly and apparently people who heard all the facts about the wrongful death of a citizen think (very strongly) they are not trained properly.

 

[Natebishop3]

Have you read what citizens of Ptd (who had a chance to listen to Ptd police training) had to say. They wrote a scathing letter about PPB training. The commander acknowledge the letter and said changes will occur. That is what I am talking about.

I don't care how long they train (never said they weren't trained at all). . . they need to be trained properly and apparently people who heard all the facts about the wrongful death of a citizen think (very strongly) they are not trained properly.

I'm pretty sure PPB goes through the same DPSST training that every other officer in the state of Oregon goes through. They all have the same certification through the DPSST.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I'm pretty sure PPB goes through the same DPSST training that every other officer in the state of Oregon goes through. They all have the same certification through the DPSST.

That's a good thing.

The question is whether that is enough training so that Portland officers can covers the situations they face in the field. Citizens of Ptd who got an inside look at PPB and training didn't think so. The commander of PPB agreed and plans to change training procedures.

I know that being a police officer can be a hard job. I am very pro-law enforcement and have literally over 50 aquaintances who are in law enforcement. but when a unarmed person is shot in the back, and the grand jury finds the officer didn't do anything criminal but instead the problem lies in the training of officers, then that needs to be addressed. I'm glad PPB recognizes this and are trying to fix the problems.

 

[Natebishop3]

That's a good thing.

The question is whether that is enough training so that Portland officers can covers the situations they face in the field. Citizens of Ptd who got an inside look at PPB and training didn't think so. The commander of PPB agreed and plans to change training procedures.

I know that being a police officer can be a hard job. I am very pro-law enforcement and have literally over 50 aquaintances who are in law enforcement. but when a unarmed person is shot in the back, and the grand jury finds the officer didn't do anything criminal but instead the problem lies in the training of officers, then that needs to be addressed. I'm glad PPB recognizes this and are trying to fix the problems.

 

[Masbee]

Maybe they would care more if they were actually paid reasonable salaries.

Less money then.

 

[Paxil]

After reading a bit more on this... I can definitely say this was a very unfortunate situation. I am sure it would have been handled differently if there was no mention of 'getting a gun'... but regardless... a lot of things went wrong... and that is unfortunate. From what I read I am not sure any amount of training would have helped. Communication devices were failing... there was poor communication... the beanbags seemed to be unecessary... which caused a dog to be released and then in a split second an officer had to make a life or death decision about what he thought was happening... and he was clearly wrong.