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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

News African American Advocates May File Class Action Lawsuit Against Cops Over Racial Profiling

Posted by Matt Davis on Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 3:55 PM

"I was really clear with the mayor's office in the run-up to this retreat that if I didn't start seeing progress, then an alternative may be to pursue a class-action lawsuit," says Jo Ann Bowman of Oregon Action, adding that she is talking with attorneys who may be interested in pursuing such a lawsuit against the city, and that it might be timed after November's elections.

As I mentioned yesterday, the racial profiling group has been meeting since January 2007, and is yet to formulate a plan. Today's session, too, has been slow on making progress towards setting goals, despite an interesting discussion of white privilege. But at 3:45, the group has identified three goals for the next year: 1.To impact the hit rate of discretionary searches on African Americans compared to whites (black people are stopped more often, but less likely to have contraband). 2.To create small group situations in which police and the community can interact positively, and 3.To build a customer service culture in the Portland Police Bureau.

That's all. The committee is supposed to present back to council next January, but mayor-elect Sam Adams may now have a big legal headache waiting for him when he steps into Tom Potter's old office in November.

Carrots and sticks, people. Carrots and sticks. Speaking of which, here are your tax dollars at work:
tarpaulin.jpg
TARPAULIN: "Turn this over, if you feel we've made progress, without taking your feet off the mat..."

 

Commenting was not available when this article was originally published.

Comments (7) RSS

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1
Regardless of the merit of Bowman's arguments, is it not considered bad taste for a person to threaten a lawsuit because a committee accomplishes jack squat . . . when that person is the chair of said committee?
Posted by Sue Happy on June 11, 2008 at 4:45 PM · Report
2
Your general descriptions of this retreat seem to differ greatly from what you had to say about the last meeting (the one you can't talk about). Have they made a point of toning things down now that the press is officially there? Or is it just a matter different people showing up for the party?
Posted by Kyle on June 11, 2008 at 4:55 PM · Report
3
@2: Toning down, combined with confusion about goals. The goal isn't to reduce people to tears. The goal is to come up with policies and practices to end racial profiling. @1: I don't know about bad taste. I'd say giving fair warning.
Posted by Matt Davis on June 11, 2008 at 5:23 PM · Report
4
I like the customer service idea. On the other hand, stopping, beating and arresting white bicyclists for not having a light is one way to equalize the statistics: http://bikeportland.org/2008/06/11/man-on-a-bike-is-tackled-then-tasered-by-portland-police/
Posted by biker on June 11, 2008 at 8:08 PM · Report
5
As a former car thief, drug addict and drunk driver I never had the police target me for anything I wasn't guilty of. But then again I am white. I think I have been arrested about ten times and was only roughed up once I think because the Portland police officer was a bit sadistic. I have been in cars with a black driver and we were stopped for no reason. I have heard numerous stories from people I was in treatment with that the police would stop them randomly and site them for drug zone exclusion zone violation because that was were their treatment, housing and other social services were. I was given the same drug zone exclusion yet I was never stopped once in 18 months despite living in the drug zone. The studies don't lie African Americans in Portland are far more likely to be stopped by police. It is because the police are prejudice. I person can stereotypes ingrained in them reguardless what their skin color is. Police do profile, they evaluate people based on how they dress, how they talk, missing teeth, attitude and many other superficial things. Line officers are more prejudice than higher ups. Police officers with no college are more prejudice than college graduates. It is part of their culture and part of the culture is to stick together and not admit any wrongs. If you haven't admitted yu are wrong you don't have to change. We need educated police officers. We need documentation of individual police officers stops and arrests that are then reviewed any time the officer comes up for promotion. We need a civilian promotion board. And we need a citizens review board with teeth
Posted by Jeff on June 11, 2008 at 10:58 PM · Report
6
I fully agree with Jeff, as a great part of the problem with PoPo is the fact that a lot of their recruits are simply very uneducated country-bumpkins that were just bullies where they came from and are migrating to the Big City to grab that Big Paycheck and they're totally ill-equipped mentally, educationally, and culturally to deal with life in the Big City, as their ingrained racism, bully techniques and tactics take over in spite of "training" as they respond under stress to their prior "indoctrination" having long opted to lay aside true mind-liberating "education" as they march through our city like testosterone-enraged bulls as if it were a China shop. Prime examples of these kinds: Jason Sery, Scott McCellen, Christopher Humprheys and the list goes on and on as each new "bad cop" tales reaches the public's attention. WE are sick 'n' tired of these damned kind of bumpkins and truly invite them to pack their bags and grab the hands of their waddling wives and go back to where they came from as Portland is NOT the town for you rightwing nutjobbies and we don't want your damned asses here any longer. Can it be said any simplier or more direct than this?
Posted by sick 'n' tired of racists PoPo on June 12, 2008 at 7:00 AM · Report
7
Way to go there previous commenter! I've come to feel the same way, and though it is not considered PC to voice such, I am glad you said what so many are thinking in their silence, for it's the truth! I am coming to think that regardless as to whether it's PC, it's time to voice what my inner-voice tells me rather than to remain quite and allow the deplorable situation to only get worst. So, thanks again for speaking the truth!
Posted by I too am sick 'n' tired of the PoPo and their bullies on June 13, 2008 at 1:45 PM · Report

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