How the blaze got started remains a mystery. But, see how fast action by our firefighters limited damage to this adult entertainment establishment on NE 82nd Avenue of Roses …
It took only minutes to put of the fire – but the circumstances sure made firefighters wonder how and why it started.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Thanksgiving Day evening, things heated up a bit too much at “The G-Spot” adult establishment at 3400 NE 82nd Avenue of Roses. Firefighters were called to put out a blaze in the house-turned-business.
By the time we arrive at 7:52 p.m., 82nd Avenue of Roses is closed to traffic; fire engines from stations 2, 12, 19 and 28 – plus a paramedic unit and command vehicles from Districts 3 and 4 are scattered across the usually busy street.
It didn’t take firefighters long to put out flames; damage was limited to the business’s front parlor.
Stepping around a fire engine, we see firefighters coming in and out of the charred front door of the business – an established listed as both a book shop and lingerie store.
“It was a ‘room and contents’ fire,” Battalion Chief of District 4, Ed Fitzgerald, tells us. “No one was present. The fire was in the front room. Our crews got water on it quickly.”
While they didn’t find anyone in or around the building, the Battalion Chief says the sign was on – and the door was unlocked. Here the two Battalion Chiefs talk with a Portland Police Officer about the fire.
Prompt action saves building
The call came in at 7:33 p.m. and crews started dousing the flames at 7:38 p.m.
“We were more concerned about the upper story; the possibly of fire extending into the attic space,” says Fitzgerald. “But we’ve checked the building carefully. It’s all clear.”
We ask if anyone was injured, or was removed from the building
“Nobody is around,” Fitzgerald replies. “We did a complete search. No one was there; nobody was around [the structure].”
“So the business was closed?” we ask.
“We don’t know if the establishment was open or not; there wasn’t anyone around,” answers Fitzgerald. “The door was unlocked.”
We watch the firefighters wrap their hose lines in the near-freezing cold for a few minutes, as a Portland Fire & Rescue fire inspector suits up, grabs his gear, and heads into the building’s charred parlor.
In the near-freezing weather, firefighters clean their equipment, wrap their lines, and get ready for the next call.
Fire of human origin
We call Portland Fire & Rescue’s public information officer on duty, Kim Kosmas, for more information.
“The building loss is set at $100,000, content loss is listed at $50,000.”
Regarding the cause, Kosmas reports that the fire is still under investigation, but adds, “The report indicates that there was a human factor. Someone used a lighter to ignite some flexible plastic.”
The Portland Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief of District 3 calls for the fire inspector after the firefighters have removed their equipment and done the overhaul (looking for hot spots) from the fire.
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
As it turns out, it wasn’t a calamity. But see how Gresham and Portland crews worked together to make sure a leaking railroad car didn’t turn into a catastrophe …
Traffic along NE Sandy Boulevard, from the eastern edge of Portland well into Gresham, was closed – and some areas were evacuated – while a leaking rail car was investigated by HAZMAT agencies from both Portland and Gresham.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The members of Portland Fire & Rescue’s and Gresham Fire Department’s HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) Teams didn’t seem to notice the pelting rain, occasionally turning to sleet, when they were called out Sunday night, January 6.
The emergency radio calls indicated that a railroad tank car, traveling eastbound on the tracks that parallel NE Sandy Blvd., was leaking. The crew on a westbound train said they saw vapor coming from the tanker.
HAZMAT crews from both Portland and Gresham, working with officials from the railroad, developed a plan of action to determine the whether or not a tank car was leaking – and the potential hazard it might entail.
Portland and Gresham crews scramble
Because the potential hazardous materials spill was spotted in Portland about NE 158th Avenue – the train finally stopped in Gresham, just west of NE 182nd Avenue – HAZMAT crews from both cities rushed to the site.
For several hours, NE Sandy Blvd. was shut down, and bus service was rerouted. Boeing Aerospace workers waited at roadblocks to report for work, as the HAZMAT team members checked out the potential leak.
Crews get ready to sample materials they may find when they inspect the rail cars in question.
Running down the possibilities
Grant Coffey, HAZMAT Coordinator for the City of Portland, was on-scene taking charge of the event. He’s a good man for the job: Coffey came up through the ranks of Portland Fire & Rescue, led PF&R’s HAZMAT team for many years, and now teaches the subject at the college level.
“We’re checking the manifests for the cars,” Coffey told us. “The product in one of the cars is probably granulated powder. Another is plastic, and acrylic, in liquid form. It’s got a 30-day inhibitor, so it’s probably not going to be a problem – especially at this [low] temperature, even without the inhibitor.”
The concern then focused on just one of three tanker cars: “It’s filled with 183,000 pounds of phenol. That’s an organic solvent used in industry. This product gives off a white, maybe a pinkish, vapor.”
It’s not like chlorine gas, ammonia, phosgene, or chlorine, Coffey told us. “It’ll kill you if you fell in a pool of it, or ingested it. But it’s not extremely hazardous.”
After careful analysis, HAZMAT crews clear the incident.
Better to be safe …
While we were at the scene, the crews brought back the information that all was safe, and they started allowing workers to travel to their jobs, and traffic to resume, on NE Sandy Boulevard.
“Why all this response?” we asked.
“Better safe than sorry,” replied Coffey. “The idea is to take every precaution. If there were a hazardous situation, we need to be well on top it before anyone – or the environment – could be hurt.”
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
See how Portland Fire & Rescue’s prompt response kept a burning van from setting this disabled woman’s home ablaze …
Thanks to a neighbor’s prompt call to 9-1-1, and fast response from Portland Fire & Rescue Station 25 and Station 11, this van fire didn’t turn into a tragedy.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The victim of a late-night fire on December 11 sat on a bench in her yard with her cane in hand as she watched Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) firefighters wrapped up their hoses and stow their equipment on their rigs near the modest home at SE 57th Ave and SE Carlton St. in SE Portland.
“I just got home from Wal-Mart,” she told us. “I pulled into the driveway, smelled smoke and and heard something. When I looked there was fire – and I mean a LOT of fire – coming out of my car. My cordless phone in my house didn’t work because the power was out; my neighbors called 911 for help.”
A fire investigator looks over the burnt van while firefighters gather their gear.
The fire burned so fiercely, it melted the overhead electric power and it fell into the street.
Three-minutes response saves home
At the scene, District Four Battalion Chief Todd Kethley said when crews arrived, “There were heavy flames coming from a van parked in the driveway.”
The fire was so intense, Keathly reported, the blaze melted the electrical power line overhead so that it dropped into the street. “Initially, this was a hazard for our firefighters.”
When the chief checked the call information on his truck’s mobile computer, he found it came in 11:38 p.m.; the truck from Station 25 arrived on scene within three minutes; and, they turned command over to the firefighters on Engine 11 who arrived a minute later.
“Fortunately, the flames from a van did not extend to the house,” pointed out Keathly. “We’ve checked the house and it appears okay. Portland General Electric just arrived and they’re working to restore electrical service.”
As homeowner got up to go back into her house, she said, “I sure do appreciate our firemen. They just saved my home from burning up.”
Even though her van is toast, the homeowner says she’s thankful firefighters saved her home from going up in smoke.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Although he doesn’t consider himself a brave man, learn what Russell Dugan did when high winds whipped this house fire into a major conflagration …
Here, in the darkness of the early morning hours, Portland Fire & Rescue’s photographer Dick Harris captures firefighters at work, dousing wind-whipped flames at this outer East Portland house fire on March 12.
Story and daylight photos by David F. Ashton
His hands, blackened from the ashes of the home in which he once stayed, led him to apologize for the soot, as we shook hands at the conclusion of our interview. Behind him stands the charred shell that was once a modest outer East Portland home.
Yet, some neighbors are calling this man with the dirty hands, Russell Dugan, a hero.
Rescues roommate from blaze
“I’ll tell you what happened,” Dugan begins. “There was a big fire here!” he says as he tries to force a smile on his face to hide the distressing ordeal he’s endured.
“I woke up early this morning, and heard my roommate yelling,” recounts Dugan. “I could smell smoke and see fire. The dining room was engulfed in flames. The only exit I had out was the front door.”
We learn Dugan’s roommate is physically disabled, as Dugan continues: “I grabbed him, and went out the front door. I pushed him out the front door, and went back inside to get the dogs. I got one of the dogs out, and collapsed at the front door – there was too much smoke to go back in for the other dog.
Dugan says he then carried his roommate out into the front yard, clear of danger. “The house was engulfed in flames. The wind made the fire a lot worse. It picked up the fire and carried it over and burned part of the back-end of the neighbor’s house.”
Firefighters drench burning cars in the driveway between the burning home and the neighbor’s home to the north. PF&R, Dick Harris photo
Firefighters clock a four-minute response
Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) spokesman Lt. Allen Oswalt reports that when the fire crew pulled up 5200 block of SE 104th Avenue at 3:09 a.m. – four minutes after the alarm went out – they reported heavy smoke obscuring the scene.
“They made their way down the street, driving through smoke so thick it was hard to see the road, or what exactly was on fire,” Oswalt tells us. “The east wind was blowing the smoke from the fire and keeping it at ground level.”
When the crew of PF&R Engine Company 11 broke through the smoke, they reported in to dispatch, “One house is fully involved, [there are] multiple vehicle fires, and fire exposure to the neighboring house.”
“Because of the amount of fire, and because it had spread to cars and possibly the neighboring house, a second alarm was called to bring additional firefighters to the scene,” relates Oswalt, adding that 53 firefighters, with eight engines and two trucks, were called to fight the fire. We observe that the damage to the neighboring house was limited to the south wall of the home.
By the light of day, the devastation caused by early-morning blaze is clearly evident.
Working smoke detector saves lives
Oswalt says that one of the occupants of the house told investigators that a working smoke alarm had alerted him, and he woke his roommate, and they both escaped.
The man Dugan rescued, who officials say is man in his 60’s, suffered non-life- threatening first and second degree burns, and was transported to Emanuel Hospital.
The Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross was called in to assist the occupants with housing, clothing, and the other needs that they will have for the next several days.
If firefighters had been slow to respond, two or more homes could have been destroyed by the wind-whipped flames.
After finding two wallets in the burned house, Dugan says he’s amazed.
Praises firefighters’ response
In his hands, Dugan holds two wallets – still intact – and a pair of usable eyeglasses.
“I’m really grateful that there was no loss of life except for one of our pet dogs,” he says. “The fire department did a good job getting here quickly and did a great job of saving what they could in the house. What is salvageable, I don’t know yet.”
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Find out all about the Portland Police Bureau’s “Plan to Address Racial Profiling”, and why the meeting to discuss it was held at the East Portland Community Center …
Portland Police Bureau Chief Rosie Sizer talks with the facilitator of the “Plan to Address Racial Profiling”, held in outer East Portland.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Portland Police Bureau’s “Plan to Address Racial Profiling” was scrutinized at a public meeting, in order to give citizens an opportunity to address their concerns.
If you’re not aware of this document, CLICK HERE to see a PDF of the 36-page report.
Before the meeting began, we asked Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Chief Rosie Sizer why the East Portland Community Center was chosen for the meeting on April 2.
“East Portland is one of the most racially diverse, economically diverse, and youthful parts of our city,” replied Sizer. “I hope to have a real dialogue, and get some feedback. I hope people will see that they can find ways to help facilitate the realization of the elements of the plan. I want to continue this engagement. We’re very lucky to be working with the Office of Human Relations, and the Human Relations Commission to move this plan forward.”
Chief Sizers calls the meeting to order and tells of how the document came into existence.
History of the “Plan to Address Racial Profiling”
When she was appointed interim chief of police about three years ago, Sizer said it was brought to her attention that the PPB had not “reported on contact data selection. This is data we take when we conduct traffic or subject stops. People have wanted this information.”
She said it has been about two years since the data was reported at that time.
“Then, we developed a partnership with Oregon Action. We talked with people and held ‘listening sessions’. Police officers and community members – especially community of colors – talked about their experience regarding traffic stops, and more racially-charged issues. (To learn more about the Oregon Action organization, CLICK HERE.)
“Clearly, in the history of Portland, there’ve been a number of those incidents. There has been historic tension between the Portland Police Bureau and communities of color. We’ve had very frank and respectful conversations.”
Based on these meetings, Sizer said Oregon Action published a report.
The Mayor at the time, Sizer continued, committed to swiftly completing a plan based on the report. “The plan was wildly optimistic – optimistic and good-hearted – but optimistic. This committee met for over two years. During this time, we identified elements of an idea to be used in the Racial Profiling Plan.”
Four areas of progress outlined
Sizer said the bureau’s “Plan to Address Racial Profiling” published in February, 2009, points how they plan to “make progress” in four principal areas:
- Recruiting – developing a more diverse PPB workforce.
- Engagement – working with communities of color to the mutual benefit of that community and the police officers’ only contact with that community during 9-1-1 emergency calls. “You can get a very perverse look at the world by responding to 9-1-1 calls. We’re looking to engage in more creative and collaborative ways,” Sizer noted.
- Training – developing training policies and practices.
- Data collection – making sure the data collected reflects the nature of the contacts.
“Much of the Racial Profiling Committee data has been debated,” Sizer acknowledged. “I think many of us on the committee, over time, came to the realization that we may never know what the best data is, or what all the data means. But there are certainly things we can do to improve the situation for community members and police officers alike.”
Maria Lisa Johnson, Director of the Portland Office of Human Relations, asks the group to make suggestions and outline challenges they see with the plan.
Discussion groups comment
With that, Sizer introduced Maria Lisa Johnson, “the director of the city’s smallest bureau, the Portland Office of Human Relations.”
Present, along with the citizens at the tables, was a facilitator from the Office of Human Relations, a member of the Human Rights Commission, and a member of the upper command staff of the Portland Police Bureau.
“The goal is to go through some of the strategy we’ve identified [in the Plan] to make things better in our community,” Johnson explained. “And then, to work through two principal questions: ‘What suggestions do you have to make things better in our community oversight, and what suggestions do you have to strengthen our approach to the proposed strategies? And, what challenges do you see in the strategies, and why?'”
Results from the feedback sessions have not yet been published. Johnson said that a web presence for commenting on the plan has not been established – but citizens can call their office at (503) 823-5510, or use their online response form: CLICK HERE.
Citizen Kevin Foster sits with Northeast Precinct Commander Jim Ferraris, East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs, and participant Sean McShane, as they discuss the Plan.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
See exclusive photos of the SERT callout that shut down a large portion of Lents and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhoods, and learn about the progress of the investigation …
We find every street blocked off, as SERT and district officers comb the blocks looking for suspects who officials say shot a Vancouver cop in the chest.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Not often does a crime that takes place in Vancouver, Washington, affect the lives of outer East Portland citizens.
But, on April 15, a good-sized portion of the Powellhurst-Gilbert and Lents neighborhoods were locked down as Portland Police Bureau district officers – and members of the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) – searched for a gunman who they think shot Vancouver Police Sgt. Jay Alie in the chest about 9:30 p.m. that night.
According to Vancouver Police Department Public Information Coordinator Kim Kapp, the incident started in Vancouver Heights when a neighbor called 911 reporting several individuals hauling pillowcases full of loot from a home to a white, 4-door vehicle with Oregon plates.
“Sgt. Alie spotted the vehicle driving through the neighborhood at a high rate of speed,” stated Kapp, “and attempted a traffic stop.”
Illuminated by street lamps, and the lights from nearby convenience store, a member of the SERT team heads out to back up East Precinct district officers during the manhunt that continued throughout the night.
Suspected thief takes a shot
As he exited his patrol car, one of the passengers of the suspect vehicle opened fire, and shot Alie in the chest. Fortunately, he was wearing a bullet-resistant, ballistic vest, and the injury was minor.
The white sedan took off and headed south, into Oregon, on I-205.
Talking to us near a roadblock on S.E Holgate Boulevard near SE 112th Avenue, Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Detective Mary Wheat filled us in on what happened next. “Our officers followed up on information that the suspect vehicle might be in the area of S.E. Portland. They spotted the possible suspect vehicle in the area of SE 114th Avenue and Pardee Street. Two possible suspects fled on foot from the vehicle.”
The suspected thieves and cop-shooter didn’t get far; Wheat said two subjects were taken into custody a few minutes later, and detained.
Despite the arrests, police kept the neighborhoods quarantined until they removed their roadblocks about 6:30 a.m. on April 16. We learned from an official who was at the scene that police were looking for additional suspects; whether or not they were located was left uncertain.
The neighborhood was in “lockdown” until dawn of the following day.
Suspects’ identity remain a mystery
“The two individuals have been arrested and booked on charges unrelated to last night’s incidents in Vancouver,” Kapp told us at deadline. “Charges regarding the burglary and shooting will be referred to the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, the names of those individuals are not being released at this time.”
Officials say the crooks took a shot at this man, Vancouver Police Sgt. Jay Alie; he has been released from the hospital, Kapp said, and did not sustain serious injuries because of his bullet-proof vest.
Wheat added, “Detectives continue to process evidence, and several search warrants are being served related to this ongoing investigation. The Vancouver Police Major Crimes team is working closely with the Portland Police Bureau. No further information is available.”
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
This apartment building has seen more that its share of fire, neighbors say.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The sound of smashing glass awoke Parkrose resident Ted Wentz in the wee hours of April 9. “Transients use our street to go between The Grotto and NE Sandy Blvd. I thought they were breaking beer bottles in the street again.”
But when Wentz looked out the window, he saw the four-plex apartment building at 4415 NE 88th Avenue ablaze.
“Flames were coming up from the lower level, and the smoke and fire was just shooting up over the balcony – just like a giant barbecue or bonfire,” exclaimed eyewitness Wentz. “I grabbed the phone and called 9-1-1. They kept asking for the address; I gave them mine and told them ‘It’s right across the street, about a block from your fire station [#12] just south on Sandy Boulevard’.”
After he hung up, Wentz said he ran across the street. “I saw the garage next to the neighbor’s house, directly across the street from me, starting to smoke because of the heat. I hooked up her garden hose and started spraying water on her garage.” His effort kept the fire at bay until firefighters arrived.
Official records show the first call reporting the fire came in 2:37 am; Engine 12 pulled up at 2:40 am. “When firefighters arrived, they reported fire coming from the doors, windows, and the roof of the building,” confirmed Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) spokesman Lt. Allen Oswalt.
Crewmembers from PF&R Station 12 – here, from the next day’s shift – examine the fire damage, and take note of the work their fellow firefighters did 12 hours earlier.
Resident rouses occupants
Wentz said he saw someone rousting the residents, making sure everyone was out of the house. “I understand he was visiting his son, and is a sheriff somewhere; he must have dressed quickly.”
Oswalt said that as firefighters made a quick attack on the fire, other crewmembers searched for trapped victims. “Reports from occupants that all of the residents were accounted for allowed firefighters to concentrate their efforts on limiting the fire’s spread.”
As the firefighters were getting their hoses ready, Wentz recalled that a resident yelled, “There’s a propane tank on the side of the building!” Firefighters grabbed it and moved it out of harm’s way.
“The flames were just amazing,” Wentz said. “When they cut into the roof, flames shot out. Somehow the flames got all the way from the lower level into the upper unit, and all the way out the roof.”
Oswalt commented, “The fire found its way into the attic; a tough place to fight a fire. Firefighters cut holes in the roof to douse the fire from above; others worked in the apartments below, by pulling the sheet-rock ceilings down to give access to the underside of the roof structure.”
Dog makes a break for it
In the early moments of the conflagration, Wentz said, the occupants of the unit above burning apartment were trying to coax their dog from its kennel. “But, as soon as they opened the door that leads to the stairs, the dog took off and ran south toward The Grotto. She and her boyfriend ran after the dog and found it. They asked us to keep the dog in our fenced back yard until things calmed down.”
The blaze was so intense, it took a full half hour for firefighters to get it under control.
All of this damage; all of this loss was caused by a careless discarded cigarette, officials say.
Third fire at structure
This is not the first fire at this location, Wentz told us. “When they were building it, somebody lit the Porta-Potty on fire.”
The next fire occurred, he said, “When a girl, living in the lower, north unit, got a smoking can or ashes too close to the side of the building. It lit the apartment’s siding on fire.”
This time, according to PF&R’s Oswalt, “Fire Investigators have determined that the fire was accidentally caused by ‘improper disposal of a cigarette’. One of the occupants had discarded a cigarette into a cardboard box, which ignited and spread to a sofa, and then to the structure.”
As a result of the fire, Oswalt told us, two of the units suffered heavy damage from the fire and smoke, and the other two units were moderately damaged. “Firefighters used plastic sheeting to cover the belongings in the units, in an attempt to limit the damage to the occupants’ possessions.”
Red Cross to the rescue
The Oregon Trail Chapter of The Red Cross sent four volunteers to the scene. Because there were a total of eleven displaced residents, workers set up a temporary emergency reception center at the nearby Howard Johnson Hotel to assist the occupants.
“I saw the Red Cross come here, and found out that they were helping these people with a place to stay, some clothing, and food for a few days,” commented Wentz. “That’s really great; I didn’t know they did that. I might just be giving them a donation.”
- Find out more about the Oregon Red Cross by visiting their website: CLICK HERE.
Lesson to be learned
Never missing an opportunity to provide fire education, Oswalt commented, “All smoking material should be disposed of in a non-combustible container, preferably metal, with a tight-fitting lid. Residue from ashtrays should also be disposed of in a metal container with a tight- fitting lid.”
There were no reported injuries. The monetary damage estimate is unavailable at this time.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
What are officials doing to reduce prostitution and gang crime problems? See what we found out, by reading this article now …
Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs says the new approach to reducing prostitution in outer East Portland is working.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
If you’re fed up with crime in outer East Portland, and are ready to do something about it, there’s a place you can go: East Precinct Involved Citizens, also known by its acronym, as EPIC. Formerly known as the East Portland Block Captains, these neighbors are involved in all kinds of crime-reduction programs.
And, at their bi-monthly meeting, those who attend learn what the police, the district attorney, and the jail system are doing to reduce crime in East Portland.
Update on fighting street prostitution
In the past years, we’ve covered the continuing effort to reduce the prevalence of street-level prostitution that sullies 82nd Avenue of Roses and NE Sandy Boulevard.
Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs led off the March 23 EPIC meeting by recapping how the City now deals with street-sold sex.
“When the Prostitution-free Zone ordinances went away, we were concerned that there wouldn’t be anything to replace it,” Crebs began.
“In fact, we have replaced it. Now, when we arrest people for prostitution, whether they be male or female, we send them to the court downtown. If you’ve been convicted once already for a prostitution offence, you have to appear in regular court, not ‘community court’.”
The choices for the accused is to plead guilty, have a trial the judge, or have a trial with a jury. Just getting a hand-slap is no longer an option.
Says judges are getting involved
“We were concerned whether or not the judges would simply place the prostitutes and johns [customers] on probation,” Crebs noted. “But so far, the judges have taken these charges seriously. They have put sanctions on the people who have been found guilty.”
The Commander explained that post-conviction sanctions allow judges to impose conditions on guilty individuals. “The judge can tell the person not to be within a given distance from 82nd Avenue or Sandy Boulevard, and not to associate with known prostitutes, pimps, or johns.”
When the Prostitution Free-zone ordinances were in effect, a suspect – not found guilty in court – was “excluded” from certain areas. However, if they were found to be pandering, they’d typically just get another exclusion notice.
“But, because a sanction is post-conviction,” Crebs continued, “eight of our police officers who are also directed to be ‘officers of the court’ can arrest – and take to jail – anyone found to be in violation of their probation sanctions.”
Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney J.R. Ujifusa says the new program isn’t displacing prostitution, it’s reducing it – by imposing jail sentences and providing treatment.
Violators go to jail
“This new program began on February 17,” pointed out Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney J.R. Ujifusa.
“One of the most prolific female street prostates was convicted and put on probation, with [the location exclusion] conditions. Officers saw her on the street and picked her up – not for violating an exclusion, but for violating her probation. She served 14 days in jail. Then, she was picked up yesterday, and is now serving another 40 days in jail. She will still be in probation, and the conditions will be continued.”
Asked if the new program is effective, Ujifusa commented, “Yes. Police officers are doing their part. The district attorneys are doing their part, to get the prostitutes and johns in front of judges, and to get probation restrictions upon conviction. So far, it’s working.”
Treatment reduces displacement
“Isn’t this just moving prostitution to different neighborhood?” asked an EPIC member.
“No, I think not,” replied Ujifusa. “Along with targeting the worst problems areas and ensuring jail time for violators, there is now a treatment element involved as well.”
The concept is, Ujifusa noted, to help repeat offenders by getting them safe housing, mental health care, drug counseling, rehabilitation, and training – so they can eventually become productive citizens, “instead of being prostitutes in a different area. And if prostitution does move to different area, this program will move to that different area with them.”
Commander Crebs says probation sanctions follow a convict throughout the state.
Can’t run and hide
“If a prostitute moves up 122nd Avenue,” Crebs chimed in, “We go back and tell the judge that she’s moved locations, and ask for additional restrictions. We can respond to prolific prostitutes as they move around. Probation is actually statewide, so if they were to associate with a known prostitute [anywhere in the state], technically it’s a violation of their probation. We can ‘violate’ them if we find them breaking the law, or associating with other prostitutes, pimps, or johns, anywhere.”
Crebs concluded by saying that he’s very pleased with how the program is working, and with the support they’re getting from the court and the District Attorney’s office.
“And, we have a meeting, once a week, with the District Attorney, police, and treatment program. We talk about how each convicted individual is doing, and try to prevent the displacement of prostitution.”
Gang Enforcement Team
targets gang behavior
Portland Police Bureau’s Lt. Mike Leloff, who is with the Tactical Operations Division and Gang Enforcement Team, talks about their efforts to reduce gang violence.
Also at this meeting, Mike Leloff, with the Portland Police Bureau’s Tactical Operations Division and Gang Enforcement Team, talked to the group about recent gang activity in outer East Portland.
Leloff’s presentation included how to recognize the signs and symbols used by gangsters, the origin of gangs, and how the Police Bureau is dealing with the problems.
We had the opportunity to ask Leloff if he has seen an increase in gang activity.
“Yes, it is increasing,” he replied, “but we’re getting on top of it. Recently, during ‘Operation Cool Down’, we got political leaders from both Portland and Gresham involved to make it easier for officers to follow gangsters. We’re opening up our boundaries, like the gangsters have.”
Although Operation Cool Down has ended, Leloff continued, gang enforcement operations haven’t. “We started a new afternoon shift in March, with one sergeant and five officers. They quickly move to areas of gang activity, partnered with ‘HEAT’, the Hotspot Enforcement Action Team, and a similar team in Gresham.”
These teams look for specific sets of illegal gang behavior – instead of targeting individuals, he noted – in north, northeast, and east Portland, and Gresham
Leloff says there are many reasons for the recent increase in gang activity.
Asked why gang activity is on the upswing, Leloff pointed out that there are second and third generation gangsters now on the street. “The kids I was chasing around early in my career, are now getting out of prison, and getting back into the gangster life. Their kids, and sometimes their grandkids, see the gangster life as normal.”
While the economy does impact crime in general, Leloff said, “How much it may influence gaining activity – I’m not an expert there. We have been seeing increases in gang activity since December of 2007.”
Dave Smith, coordinator East Precinct Involved Citizens, welcomes attendees to another EPIC meeting.
How to become an EPIC neighbor
Dave Smith, a volunteer, and the EPIC coordinator, said that their meetings and activities aren’t limited to people involved in the “Block Captain” program.
“‘EPIC’ is for people interested in public safety topics,” Smith said. “I try to find topics that are both interesting and are informative. We try to present information that people wouldn’t normally hear or see anywhere else.”
Smith cited the group’s “field trips” to the Bureau of Emergency Communication – the 911 Center – and more recently, to the Portland Police Bureau’s Mounted Patrol Division, in addition to the presentations.
The next meeting will be on May 27; that keynote address will be delivered by Sergeant Erin Smith, a motorcycle cop with the Traffic Division, Smith noted.
For questions contact Smith at dsmith@portlandpolice.org.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
How do you free a tree-trimmer – pinned by a branch 40′ above the ground? Very carefully! Read all about this rescue, which a trained expert called “scary” …
Before taking action, firefighters and members of PF&R’s Specialty Rescue team evaluate the condition of the arborist, and the overall situation.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As one who used to live on Mt. Hood and routinely cut his own firewood, Brentwood-Darlington resident Brandon Smyton said the two arborists cutting down trees behind the house across the street from his home, in the 5800 block of SE Tenino Street, caught his interest, as he was on his way to the store about 11:30 a.m.
“The sound of the chainsaw stopped,” Smyton told us. “I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I gathered that their saw got pinched in the tree and it was no big deal. It sounded as if the man up in the tree was calmly talking to his partner on the ground, making a plan to get the stuck saw free.”
When he got returned from the shopping trip, Smyton said he found his street filled with Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) ladder trucks, and the PF&R Specialty Rescue van. “It was then that I realized the seriousness this of the situation.”
Technical Rescue Team members make sure the arborist is safely anchored to their fire truck’s extended ladder.
The rescue team rigs a come-along winch to lift the limb of the victim’s arm.
Large limb pins arborist
“When our firefighters arrived,” explained PF&R spokesman Lt. Damon Simmons, as we watched the rescue effort unfold, “they found that a large limb which the arborist was cutting fell, struck him in the shoulder, and pinned his harness and left arm to the tree.”
Noting that PF&R Engine 1 – a unit which typically only serves downtown Portland – was rolling up to the scene, Simmons commented, “This is our Specialty Rescue unit. These firefighters are trained for, and better equipped for, what we call a ‘high angle, technical rescue’, in which the victim is at least 30 feet in the air, and is hanging in the air unsupported.”
One of the firefighters instrumental in the rescue is Rich Chatman, a member of PF&R’s Technical Rescue Team, based at Station 1 in downtown Portland.
Crew carefully considers rescue options
Firefighter Rich Chatman, a Technical Rescue Team member, talked us through the rescue…
“We were concerned that if we did anything to move the top of the tree branch resting on his arm, it would shift the limb toward him, making the situation worse,” Chatman explained after the successful rescue. “We had to come up with a unique plan for securing the tree, securing victim, and then cutting his [safety harness] system that was holding him.”
After securing the victim with ropes, rescue team members used a small “come-along” winch between the trunk and the limb and free the arborist’s arm. “The tricky part was when we cut his restraint system, because that also was caught in the tree. I’d say it’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”
While some rescuers secure the treed arborist, others winch up the limb.
With his arm free, the arborist gets a footing on the fire department’s extension ladder.
While the team was making the plan and taking action to free him, the victim was conscious and lucid, Chatman commented. “He was a real trouper. He knew we were working as hard and as fast as we could, to free him.”
Victim descends ladder to safety
At about 1:00 p.m., many of those watching the rescue said they were surprised to see the arborist slowly climb down a tall ladder the firefighters secured to the tree. “We were going to lower him using a rope system,” Chatman said, “but he started climbing down as soon he could. But we had him supported all the way down.”
Freed from his predicament, the arborist makes his way down a ladder, with a firefighter at his side on a parallel ladder.
This view gives one a better idea of from high the victim was rescued.
-9 Firefighters and paramedics help the arborist at the ladder’s bottom.
Although the freed, unidentified arborist could walk on his own, AMR medics quickly got him to lie down on a gurney, and transported him to OHSU Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
As crewmembers started packing their equipment, and as Station Truck 25 was retracting its 100-foot ladder, we noticed the other arborist climbing back up the tree. “He’s going to retrieve the chain saw, isn’t he?” Smyton remarked.
With the victim safely on the way to the hospital, the arborist’s partner climbs back up the tree to retrieve his chainsaw.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
It’s one of the worst single-car wrecks we’ve seen. Find out what happened, as told by an eye-witness who saw the incident unfold …
The car hit this wooden pole with such force, it snapped like a twig at ground level.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
“SE 162 Avenue is like a speedway,” said Centennial Neighborhood resident Vera Andersen, as she watched police investigating a car wreck across the intersection at SE Taggert Street. “Because it’s smooth and wide between SE Powell Boulevard and SE Division Street, people drive way too fast along here all of the time.”
Andersen shook her head as she walked away from the scene on March 22, after taking a final look at the destroyed car, clipped utility pole, and torn-up yard.
Although injured, both the driver and passenger of this car survived the smash-up.
Eyewitness to disaster
Scott Beach told us it was raining heavily, a little after 1:00 p.m., as he was driving north on SE 162nd Avenue from SE Powell Boulevard, headed toward SE Division Street.
“I was driving in the inside, or ‘fast’ lane,” Beach began, “doing about 40 or 45 mph. A car passed me in the ‘slow lane’ doing, I’d estimate, between 60 and 80 mph. He passed me like I was standing still.
The driver swerved in front of Beach, “Then, it was like he was trying to turn right into a driveway or onto Taggert Street. He went sideways and into the telephone pole; then into yard over there. I though he’d hit the house.”
Gives good medical advice
Beach said he stopped in the left-hand turn lane on 162nd Avenue. “When I got out, family members or friends were hollering for me to help them pull them out of the car. I told them no, you need to leave them in the car. I’d noticed electrical wires hanging down into the water.”
Trying to help the situation, Beach said he directed traffic around the wreck until Portland Fire & Rescue and police officers arrived.
“It took them a while to get them out of the car; they both went to the hospital,” recalled Beach. “They look pretty banged up. The driver was conscious but the passenger was kind of twitching like he was of out of it.”
SE 162nd Ave. was closed for much of the day as the Portland Police Bureau’s Major Crash Team investigate the wreck.
Although Beach recalled the younger of the two men he saw in the car being the driver, Portland Police Bureau’s Public Information Officer Detective Mary Wheat told us, “The driver of the vehicle has been identified as 23-year old George Pitsul. The passenger in the vehicle is a 16-year old juvenile male; we’re not releasing his name due to his age.”
Police say this man, 23-year old George Pitsul, was arrested and charged with three separate counts, all stemming from this accident.
Both occupants of the vehicle were hospitalized for several days, Wheat said. “Investigators believe that speed was a factor in this incident and do not believe any alcohol was involved.”
On Friday, March 27th, Pitsul was arrested on one count of Assault in the Third Degree, one count of Reckless Driving, and one count of Recklessly Endangering Another Person.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Get a look at this “indoor farm” the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit unearthed in Lents …
In the basement of this Lents neighborhood home, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit deputies say they found this 170-plant pot farm. The special “grow lamps” cast a yellow light. MCSO Photo
By David F. Ashton
As we learned from talking with deputies working in the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations in the past – the problem with selling dope is “Buyers have to know you’re in the business for you to make sales.”
Someone, perhaps a competitor or unsatisfied customer, gave deputies an anonymous tip that an indoor pot farm had a blooming business going in the Lents Neighborhood, near the area of SE 100th Ave. and SE Holgate Blvd.
SIU agents set up a surveillance operation and investigated the home until they had enough evidence to get a search warrant for the illegal marijuana grow operation.
“On March 18, at 8:00 pm, SIU deputies made entry,” reported MCSO spokesman, Dep. Paul (Mac) McRedmond. “In the basement of the home, deputies found a huge marijuana grow operation with over 170 juvenile and mature, budding marijuana plants, some over 5′ tall.”
This marijuana has been harvested. Deputies say they hang it upside down to dry. MCSO Photo
Apparently, these books did little to help keep this indoor farmer from getting busted! MCSO Photo
Guns and money located
“They also found a pound of marijuana harvested and ready for sale, $3,000 in cash and four handguns and seven rifles, including a Belgian FN 308 assault rifle,” McRedmond told us. He estimated the pot’s value at $280,000.
In addition to what deputies characterized as “several thousand dollars worth of growing equipment” – McRedmond couldn’t help but break into a small smile as he added – “They also found a small library of book on how to avoid police detection.”
Officials say the homeowner, a white male in his 40’s was arrested and cited, but not lodged in jail because he agreed to cooperate with deputies in furthering their investigation.
MSCO deputies say this was a sophisticated marijuana-growing operation. MCSO Photo
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Find out why an alleged dope-peddler called ‘Lucky Luciano’ might want to start thinking of a new nickname – AND, what YOU can do to help keep drug dealers off the streets …
This sure ain’t baking soda! Here’s what of half pound if cocaine looks like. MCSO photo
Story by David F. Ashton
Based on the number of arrests we’ve seen lately, it looks like the flood of cocaine and heroin sneaking into Portland from Mexico isn’t slowing down.
“We have been busy,” admitted Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) spokesman Dep. Paul McRedmond, as he told us about two different arrests that took pounds – not ounces – of dope off our streets.
Pounds of coke found Wednesday night
On March 11, based on information gained from an ongoing probe, MSCO special investigators spotted a vehicle they’d been looking for, heading for Gresham.
They followed the newer black Ford Taurus out to the area of NE 182nd Place and E Burnside Street. Deputies stopped the car for a traffic violation, McRedmond said, and then started talking with the suspect, 40-year-old Francisco L. Leon. After he gave consent to search his car, deputies found a whopping 2½ POUNDS (not ounces) of “gunpowder cocaine”, with a street value of about $250,000.
Officials say this man, said Francisco Leon – a Mexican national, in this country illegally – lost his stash, his car and his freedom that night, he’s been placed on “immigration hold” at the County Jail.
Not so ‘Lucky Luciano’ gets busted
Then, based on information learned from confidential informants, undercover drug buys, and surveillance, sharp-eyed MSCO special investigators spotted yet another vehicle of interest the following night, March 12, McRedmond went on.
The officers spotted the vehicle – also a recent-model red Ford Taurus (apparently the drug dealer’s car of choice this week) – in the area of NE 191st & Glisan, and pulled it over to make a traffic stop.
Officials say that 32-year-old Alfredo Lugo-Velez (left) was driving; and riding shotgun was 37-year-old Javier ‘Lucky” Luciano-Ramirez (right), both Mexican nationals, reportedly in this country illegally.
“As special investigation officers pulled up, ‘Lucky’ Luciano-Ramirez got out of the car and immediately raised his hands over his head – and a half-pound of cocaine fell out of his shirt,” said McRedmond. “This would break down to about 2,000 individual ‘hits’, worth $100,000.”
“Lucky” Luciano, along with his partner, went to jail without incident. “In addition to the drug charges, they have been place on immigration holds,” stated McRedmond
Ooops! MCSO Deputies say a packet of drugs fell out of an alleged dope dealer’s shirt when he put his hands up! MCSO photo
Profiling criminal behavior
Because of the steady stream of Mexican nationals arrested – and allegedly caught with large quantities of high-quality narcotics – we asked McRedmond if MSCO special investigators could possibly have been engaging in “racial profiling”.
“Our investigators gather information, participate in undercover drug buys, and do surveillance on any individual, of any race or background – based on their behavior,” responded McRedmond. “Our deputies – and especially our special investigators – have learned to look for specific sets of behaviors common to people engaged in criminal activities.”
Editor’s note:
On Monday, March 16, the 2009 Multnomah County Budget Forum on Public Safety convenes.
How much more money should the County Commissioners be allowed to hack out the budget for the Sheriff’s Office, jails, and other public safety services?
Come give your testimony Monday night from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Multnomah Building, 1st Floor Commissioners’ Boardroom 100, 501 SE Hawthorne Street. Contact Board Clerk Deb Bogstad 503 988-3277 for further information.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
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