Source: Willamette Week (OR)
Contact:  822 SW 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97205
Fax: (503) 243-1115
Website: http://www.wweek.com/ 
Pubdate: Wed, 2 Sep 1998
Author: Jordana Sardo

POLICING THE POLICE

The Portland Police riot against protesters condemning police
harassment ["Black & Blue," WW, Aug. 26, 1998] is an outrageous
example of the blatant disregard that the police have for citizens'
constitutional right to assemble and a sample of the virulent racism
of the police department. The more I learned about the incident, the
more I shook my head in disbelief--firing on peaceful protesters,
revoking a mother's custody rights, reinforcing racist stereotypes on
gang-affiliation issues, shutting down a private event.

Sounds like a reenactment of the civil-rights struggles in the
South.

It will take much more than hugs from the mayor to defend the rights
of people against police brutality.

The subsequent meeting following the police action last weekend did
not deal with the real abuses that occurred and offered no solutions.

I am impressed with and totally support the position held by Adrienne
Weller, District 18 State Representative candidate, that we need a
civilian police review board, independent of City Hall, to have some
community control over the police.

Weller believes that the police should be accountable to the community
when their behavior is out of control and they wildly over-react to
people exercising their constitutional rights.

A civilian review board would provide the community with a means to
penalize officers who abridge people's civil and human rights.

I agree, especially when the right to assemble to protest unfair
treatment is met with brutal force.

Jordana Sardo
Northeast 88th Avenue

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