Inspired by a police officer, discover why an unlikely philanthropist hatched a plan that helps young students meet law enforcement officers on friendly terms‚
Kelly Elementary School principal Sharon Allen introduces the originator of “Kids, Cops & Pizza”, David Yandell.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The Radio Cab driver who put together the company’s Thanksgiving turkey dinner drive, and hatched a bicycle give-away program for needy kids, has come up with a new project: Connecting kids and cops.
“An officer inspired me to do this,” explains David Yandell. Asked about his philanthropy, Yandell says, “Two years ago, Radio Cab created a foundation to help with my projects. I’m not part of the foundation. I don’t like to be encumbered by the ‘four walls’ of an institution‚ they can’t fire me!”
The idea behind his current project, explains Yandell, is helping to keep kids safe. And, at the same time, to help youngsters understand that the police are their friends. “We’re creating a positive context for them to interact. If the kids were ambivalent before this event, I promise you they won’t be after this day.”
Dishing up pizza is Sgt. Tom Perkins, School Police; Officer Dave Thoman, School Police; Officer Hank Hays; and Sgt. John Anderson, East Precinct.
Plied with pizza
We catch up with Yandell at Kelly Elementary School on May 1. Portland Police Bureau East Precinct officers are working the cafeteria’s food line, dishing up a perennial lunch favorite, hot pizza!
While the kids dine, Yandell talks with them. His message is simple: “Cops are your friends. Get to know them for yourself, and you’ll agree.”
East Precinct Officer Mike Honl gets the “movie star” treatment from Kelly School kids. At their request, he signs his autograph on the backs of their hands.
Event promotes community safety
As class after class of students file out to the playground to meet the officers and tour waiting patrol cars, Sharon Allen‚ Principal of Kelly Elementary‚ takes a moment to speak with us.
“It is important that we have safe community,” says Allen. “Our police are part of that. We want our students growing up knowing how to be safe‚ and how to access help when they need it. The first place they should go is our Portland Police. I love seeing our officers taking time out of their busy days to participate.”
Playground full of squad cars
As smiling youngsters swirl around, begging him to autograph scraps of paper‚ or the backs of their hands‚ Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Officer Mike Honl returns their smile.
The students squeal with glee as they race around, climb around, and sit in one of the many patrol cars parked on the school’s playground.
“With some of the events we deal with day in and day out,” Honl tells us, “It’s nice to see these smiling faces. This is a great way to connect with kids, letting them know their police officers are helpers and friends.”
He adds he thinks being a cop is a wonderful career. “You really help other people. I want kids to understand that.”
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
Look at these two totaled vehicles, one on its side, and you too will wonder how the occupants were able to walk away from this accident‚
Police say “careless driving” was the cause of this accident which totaled two vehicles in Hazelwood. Officers are talking with the occupants and witnesses at the scene.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Two vehicles collide‚ both of them are totaled, and one is on its side‚ but this accident on May 14 isn’t being blamed on bad weather, mechanical failure, or a drunk at the wheel.
Instead, police on scene tell us the wreck on NE Glisan St at 117th Ave. is a simple case of careless driving.
Everyone limped away from this wreck‚ police say all of them were wearing seat belts. You can see the deployed air bags in the SUV.
“It looked like the minivan was trying zip through traffic,” said eyewitness Jerome Jackmann. “It happened so fast; but it looked like the minivan was trying to cross Glisan St,. and pulled right in front of the SUV.”
Both the driver and passenger in the minivan, and the driver of the SUV, were treated for minor injuries at the crash site.
A traffic officer takes measurements and writes up his report – and ticket.
“No one is going to jail‚ or the hospital‚ today,” says an investigating police officer as he looks at his notes. “But someone is going to get a ticket for careless driving.”
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
Although Portland’s Urban Search and Rescue team is based downtown, see how their training might enable them to rescue you‚ anywhere in our area‚ when disaster strikes‚
USAR firefighter Wesley Loucks directs USAR team members as they shore up a concrete floor to prevent it from collapsing.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As you conduct your business in one of Portland’s tall buildings, the floor beneath you starts to shake. You see light fixtures start to swing and plate glass windows burst.
In a heartbeat, the floor gives way, and you’re trapped in a dark, concrete-and-steel crypt.
Soon, you hear the reassuring voices of trained experts. They tell you how to protect yourself as they remove rubble and stabilize the partially-collapsed structure.
Coming to your rescue are the men and women who make up Portland Fire & Rescue’s elite Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team.
Preparing for the worst
It probably won’t be a terrorist attack or jetliner crash that crumbles a large building in the greater Portland area‚ a catastrophic disaster will, most likely, be the result of an earthquake.
At Portland Fire & Rescue training facility, Station #2 on NE Sandy Blvd., we watch USAR team members sharpen the skills they’ll use to save hundreds of lives when disaster does strike.
“A number of years ago,” USAR firefighter Wesley Loucks tells us, “the City of Portland developed a program to have firefighters certified to help provide rescue assistance in major disasters, such as structure collapse.”
After calculating weight and load distribution, USAR team members pre-build shoring materials, before erecting them in an at-risk building.
In one area of the training yard, team members are building frames made of lumber to shore up unstable concrete floors.
“Several times a year, we hold exercises to hone our skills,” Loucks continues. “This training helps us keep our skills current. And, as new USAR information and techniques becomes available, we put it into practice.”
Inside the practice structure, USAR firefighters erect the shoring they’ve built.
During the drill we’re watching, team members calculate the overall weight distribution of a concrete slab floor, such as used in high-rise building construction.
Then, they design a “shore” to hold that amount of weight. They construct parts of the shore outside the collapsing structure, then bring it inside, setting it up and erecting it to stabilize the floor about them.
“This structural collapse scenario is something our team is likely to face in a disaster,” Loucks says. “It could be from a terrorist attack‚ or, most likely here in Portland, an earthquake. Whatever the cause‚ we’re ready to save lives.”
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
Wonder why southbound traffic on I-205 was at a standstill, midday, on May 5th? The victims are still wondering, too. Read their story here‚
These two cars were too damaged to drive‚ and a man was sent to the hospital‚ because, on May 5, police say that one person was driving recklessly.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Imagine traveling south on I-205, just after noon, on a delightful sunny Saturday.
You’re driving in the inside lane, allowing motorists to enter and exit the freeway as you pass under the E Burnside St. viaduct.
From nowhere, a speeding car cuts off traffic, and smashes into your vehicle‚ sending it spinning into the guardrail.
When you come to a stop, you’re dazed and injured.
Portland Fire & Rescue medics stabilize Brandon Shaver‚ a victim of the accident‚ before transporting him to the hospital for an evaluation.
“I didn’t know how badly I was hurt,” Brandon Shaver, driver of the car into which the speeder smashed, told us after he got out of the hospital this week.
“It was scary,” adds his wife and the vehicle’s passenger, Carmen Hunt Shaver. “One minute you’re going along, and then, smash! A car is crashing into you.”
Traffic on I-205 is backed up across the river into Vancouver, as rescue crews clear the crash site between E Burnside and SE Stark Streets.
Says “Asleep at the wheel”
As we watch Brandon being whisked away in the waiting ambulance, we notice a young man being questioned at the scene. He is taken away in handcuffs.
“The driver charged with the accident,” says Portland Police Bureau’s Sgt. Brian Schmautz informs us, “is 22-year-old Kiroll Zibrov.”
Police say Kiroll Zibrov claimed he was sleepy — but Portland Police Officers take him in in cuffs, arrested on a charge of Reckless Driving.
According to accident reports, Schmautz says, “Zibrov’s speed is estimated at 80 mph; he was driving all over the road. He lost control of vehicle, swerved and skidded into the victim’s vehicle. It is noted that he told officers he fell asleep while driving.”
Zibrov is under arrest for Reckless Driving, Schmautz adds.
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
Read how — when the real driver of the car that killed a bicyclist on SE Foster Road refuses to take responsibility — police arrest them both‚
A 58-year-old bicyclist’s life ended here, in the 11500 block of SE Foster Road on May 4. Two women who police say were both in the car that struck the cyclist each claim the other was driving.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
They’re both continue playing a game of “she did it”.
Police say one of two 28-year-old outer SE Portland women is responsible for ending the life of 58-year-old Jerry Alvin Hinatsu about 4:00 p.m. on May 5.
While they have their suspicions, authorities are still trying to determine for sure just who is responsible for the biker’s death.
When we arrive on scene, details of the accident are sketchy. The crumpled bicycle is near the driveway of the Franz Bakery Outlet Store. The victim lies nearby, his body covered with a yellow tarp.
A Portland Police East Precinct sergeant tells us there are few details.
As he talks, a patrol car drives past us, heading west, on SE Foster Road. A woman in the passenger’s seat is covering her face with her hands so we can’t photograph her. The patrol car disappears from view as it passes SE 111th Ave.
Officials say 28-year-old Sara Lance got out of the Honda after the accident; it then drove away, making it a hit-and-run felony. Officers now say they suspect Lance may actually have been the driver at the wheel when the cyclist was struck.
We ask why, if she is a witness, she’s hiding her face.
The sergeant says, “Right now, there’s a lot we don’t know about the case.”
The story unfolds
According to police reports, we learn cyclist Hinatsu is struck as he’s riding west, illegally pedaling the wrong way in the eastbound bike lane. He’s not wearing a helmet, either.
The 1991 Honda Accord that strikes and kills Hinatsu stops briefly, one individual gets out, and the car takes off.
“It may not have even been the driver’s fault at all,” comments Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Catherine Kent. “But when a driver leaves an accident scene, they’re committing a crime.”
Police say 28-year-old Cynthia Amaya may simply have been the passenger, at the time of the deadly accident; but she sped off after the impact, and someone ditched the car in Hillsboro.
“She did it”
Later, officials reveal 28-year-old SE Portland resident, Sara Ann Lance, got out of the Honda at the scene, before it fled. After intense questioning, she implicates her roommate, 28-year-old Cynthia Marie Amaya, as the driver at the time Hinatsu was struck down.
Police look for the Honda, hoping to find forensic evidence. It is later found in Hillsboro, abandoned.
Friday afternoon rush hour traffic backs up in every direction as police investigate the fatal accident on SE Foster Road.
“What we have are two women who are pointing the finger at each other,” Kent later explains.
On May 11, we check with Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division Lt. Mark Kruger for an update.
“Amaya and Lance are still both charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Not Discharging the Duties of a Driver, Hindering Prosecution and Evidence Tampering in the case,” Kruger tells us. “Both women were lodged at Multnomah County Jail, but later released on their own recognizance while the investigation continues.”
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
Get a glimpse of the “first day on the job” in Parkrose — for Portland’s fire and rescue workers — by taking a look at this one‚
Directing a stream of water at flames at Portland Fire & Rescue’s “burning room” are newly-minted firefighters Chris Ivester and Stephen Scott.
Story and Photos by David F. Ashton
“Is there anybody here,” firefighters call, as they enter the pitch-black, smoke-filled room on the third floor of an apartment building. They’re looking for fire victims. They pause, silencing their respirators, to listen for a response.
Today, there is no real structure fire. We’re watching‚ thanks to infrared cameras‚ recruits McKenzie Handley and Matthew Jensen drill on the third floor of Portland Fire & Rescue’s training tower, located just north of NE Sandy Blvd., on NE 122nd Avenue.
Although you can’t recognize them from their images in this infrared photo, firefighter recruits McKenzie Handley and Matthew Jensen are feeling their way around a blacked-out room, practicing rescue techniques they learned in the classroom.
Firefighters hired job-ready
For most people, the first day on a new job is the beginning of a career-long learning process.
But, when Portland Fire & Rescue hires a firefighter, they’re bringing on a recruit who already has attended a six-month training academy, practiced firefighting and emergency rescue drills hundreds of times, and has passed the academic portion of their training.
At another area of this complex, south of the “Towering Inferno”, the “burn room” is ablaze. Recruits Chris Ivester and Stephen Scott quickly quench the fire.
“They’ve just graduated from our Training Academy,” Training Lt. Charles Keeran informs us. “This is their first day at Station 2. We’re doing some simulated fire calls to test their skills. We’re evaluating how well their training has prepared them for working in live situations.”
Ivester, Scott, and their teammates performed well on this drill. But soon, Keeran initiates another scenario: Momentary confusion ensues, but the drill is successfully carried out.
“But, like on the first day you’re on any new job,” explains Keeran, “you’ve got to work out some of the kinks. We practice and drill until procedures become second nature.”
Firefighter Paramedic Specialist Krista Schade (looking down as she takes notes) evaluates the recruits’ performance moments before they go into service on their very first day as firefighters.
Evaluations aid learning
Firefighter paramedic specialist Krista Schade is working with the soon-to-be firefighters. “I’m doing their evaluations. We’re getting ready to go into operation.”
Schade tells us that her role in these exercises is to take detailed notes on the drills. “Afterward, we review their performance. They get immediate feedback about what they did well, and also on the skills on which they need to improve.”
We asked how much longer it would be until these hard-working recruits would be considered to be PF&R Firefighters.
Keeran smiles and answers, “About thirty minutes. When they pass this evaluation, we’ll put the rig in service, and they’ll be available to respond on calls.”
Taking a breather, Portland Fire & Rescue firefighter Stephen Scott wipes his brow and says, “Working for the bureau is amazing. There is lot to learn‚ I love this work. I hope it’s like this for the rest of my career.”
Resources:
Do you have what it takes? Contact Portland Fire & Rescue to learn if you have “the right stuff” to make their team. Click HERE to learn more!
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
See why this gal tried to ditch a state trooper by careening off the freeway and racing through Lents. And, learn why she couldn’t sweet-talk her way out of this one …
Bad Idea #1: Trying to outrun the police. Try as she might to get away, the driver of this car couldn’t shake an Oregon State Trooper‚ and officers from Portland Police East Precinct.
By David F. Ashton
It was a nice day to be out driving on Saturday, April 28. Maybe that’s why a north Portland woman was out tooling along in outer East Portland, southbound on I-205.
However, her joy-ride was interrupted at noon by the lights and siren of an Oregon State Police (OSP) Trooper. He clocked her nifty sports car 79 mph near the SE Powell Boulevard interchange.
The car exited at SE Foster Road‚ but she didn’t stop. Instead, she led the trooper‚ joined by Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct officers‚ on a 7-minute merry chase.
From SE Foster Rd., she careened north on to SE 92nd Ave., and then did her best to ditch the cops in the ‘hood.
Bad Idea #2: Intentionally smash your vehicle into cop cars during a chase.
Demonstrating her lust for highway drama, this amateur stunt-driver pulled into a driveway and intentionally rammed into OSP and PPB patrol cars. The crunch did little damage to the cop cars.
Finally, the officers were able to box the car in and get it stopped near SE 88th Ave. and Holgate Blvd.
Wanted to “see if she could get away”
So, who was the driver? Police identified her as 46-year-old Suzanne Gillett.
After they let Gillett try on some new jewelry‚ shiny chrome-plated bracelets, she told officers “I just to see if I could get away.”
The good news: no one was injured during the incident.
Gillett was arrested by OSP and lodged in Multnomah County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude, Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Hit & Run. She was also cited for Driving While Suspended.
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
A man is mowed down on SE Powell Blvd; the killer car doesn’t even slow down. See why police‚ and the dead man’s family‚ are begging for your help with this case‚
Gail Firestone, mother of the man killed in Saturday night’s hit-and-run on SE Powell Blvd. at 28th Avenue, says the driver will “never have a good night’s sleep until he turns himself in.”
Story and photo by David F. Ashton
After escorting his young daughter home, a man walks north, crossing SE Powell Blvd., about 30 feet east of the crosswalk that runs between the Wendy’s and McDonald’s restaurants. It isn’t late, about 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 28‚ and the street is well lit.
A Caucasian male driver is at the wheel of a charcoal gray American-made car, with “spoiler” on the back, rockets westward on Powell heading toward downtown Portland.
“Mister hell-on-wheels” hits 43-year old Michael J. Tucker so hard, the pedestrian is killed on the spot. The impact cracks the car’s windshield, busts out a headlight and part of the grill‚ and leaves car paint on the victim’s body.
Instead of stopping, the driver doesn’t even slow down. Last seen, he’s careening around the corner a block east of Cleveland High School, heading north.
Little information at the scene
This scenario we’ve presented wasn’t caught on tape. Instead, it is based on what little evidence Southeast Precinct Officers and Fatal Investigators from the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division were able to gather after the deadly accident.
So far, only five witnesses have come forward; none of them say they remember the car’s license plate or any other details.
Investigators, family ask for help
On April 30, Tucker’s family members, accompanied by Traffic Division’s Sgt. Dan Costello, call a press conference at the site where he died.
“This is positively horrendous,” Costello tells us. “I’ve been a traffic supervisor for about two years. This is the first accident where we’ve had very little description on the vehicle and driver. For somebody to kill another person‚ then just continue on‚ makes me angry. We need your help.”
There is a good chance the vehicle is being hidden under a tarp or in a garage, Costello adds.
His mother’s plea
“We’re from Grant’s Pass, where Mike grew up,” begins Tucker’s mother, Gail Firestone, with a quavering voice.
“No one deserves to be struck down, and left lying in the street like an animal. If anyone knows anything about the car that hit him, please help us find the car and driver.
“[His daughter] Sky has another 80 years without her dad. We need to find this guy so he doesn’t do this to someone else.”
The mother of the man killed by the speeding driver shows us a photo Tucker took of himself.
“We need help. We have every faith in these officers. People can try to outrun the law, but they’ll be caught. I have every faith.”
Speaking to the person who killed her son, she concludes, saying, “You’ve got to know what you’ve done‚ you’ll live with it for the rest of your life. There are dozens of people who won’t have closure until you are man enough to come forward and try to explain it or take the consequences. You’ll never have a good nights’ sleep.”
Speaking directly to the driver of the car that killed her son, Firestone says, “Sky has another 80 years without her dad. We need to find this guy so he doesn’t do this to someone else.”
You can help
If you spot a vehicle matching this description, or have any information at all regarding this hit-and-run collision, contact Officer Barry Busse at (503) 823-2216 as soon as possible.
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
Help ID the jerk who has been busting into NE Portland businesses. Your confidential tip could earn you $1,000 in cash‚
Know who this is? Turn him in and claim your reward!
By David F. Ashton
Before dawn on April 5, at 4:50 a.m., a burglar breaks through the front door of the 102nd Street Market at 4646 NE 102nd Ave.
Surveillance video at the store catches this guy as he enters the store and starts loading his brown-and-black Adidas duffle bag with cigarettes, candy, and money from the store’s till.
Then, on Sunday, April 8, at 2:35 a.m., the same suspect breaks into Subway restaurant at 10643 Northeast Sandy Blvd. During this break-in, the crook can’t defeat the lock on the cash box‚ so, he opted to take the entire box with him.
You can’t see him as well, but here’s the crook in the Subway store.
The suspect on the video looks to be a white male, possibly late 20’s to early 30’s, 5’6″ or shorter, with dark brown or black hair, and bushy dark eyebrows.
His clothing: A light colored sweatshirt with the hood up, underneath a short sleeve dark shirt or jacket, dark pants, and white shoes. The dark colored shirt was pulled over the lower part of his face, and he appeared to be wearing light-colored gloves.
Bust the crook for cold cash
Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to the resolution in this case, or any unsolved felony, and you may remain anonymous. Call Crime Stoppers at (503) 823-HELP (4357).
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
Read this one-on-one interview and learn why you’ll probably see fewer big drug busts in East Portland from the sheriff’s skilled dope-busting deputies. And, see why this news is grim for our friends in Gresham, Fairview, and East County‚
Take a look at the POUNDS of heavy-duty narcotics‚ like crystal meth‚ the deputies in Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Unit bring in when they bust big-time dope dealers.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
East Portland News Service has covered many stories in which the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Unit (SIU) has taken down top-level drug dealers, and curbed the influx of methamphetamine and cocaine.
So, we wondered why we were being summoned to the Hanson Building ‚Äì the leaky old structure that houses the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)‚ for a “show & tell” on April 17.
At the event, the SIU sergeant tells reporters how Multnomah County’s impending budget reductions will impact the unit.
After the meeting, Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto invites us into his office where, one-on-one, he frankly speaks of his concerns regarding public safety, as county commissioners decide how much to cut from the sheriff’s budget.
Sheriff Bernie Giusto doesn’t mince words as he outlines the funding situation for his organization.
In his words
We ask Sheriff Giusto, “What’s the real story here?”
“The story is that the county has built a government they can’t pay for,” Giusto begins. “It didn’t happen in the last couple of years‚ this started many years ago.
“With I-Tax revenue, expectations were high. It did provide a financial bridge for two years. But it also did two things: It built expectations we would be able to maintain those levels of service; and, secondly, while this was going on, our costs were increasing. Labor costs were going up.
“With the I-Tax gone, coupled with the increase of labor costs, we’re back in an ‘every-year, budget-cutting mode’.
“To start, it looks like we’ll have to cut 114 jail beds,” says the Sheriff.
SIU deputies put on display some of the confiscated drugs, bagged and ready for sale. From July 2006 through March 2007, deputies have cleaned $8,800,000 worth of dope off the street, including 5.34 lbs of cocaine, 1.32 lbs of heroin and a whopping 7.2 POUNDS of methamphetamine. MCSO photo
Why Special Investigation Unit cuts will hurt
Giusto continues, “And, our Special Investigations Unit will also take some cuts.”
We enquire, “Is the SIU the unit that catches the drug runners, bringing multi-pound loads of crystal meth into the county?”
“More importantly,” Giusto elaborates, “the SIU is the only group, the only law enforcement unit that does these drug missions in East Multnomah County on a daily basis, east of 162nd Ave.”
Drug investigations don’t stay within boundaries, he adds. “When it comes to initiating [county jurisdiction drug] investigations, or cleaning up meth labs, we were the only ones. We’re still the only one doing clean-ups. No one else is equipped to do those meth lab cleanups. If we don’t do them, they don’t get done.”
Deputies say this gear was taken from meth labs they’ve cleaned up. Without funding, future lab clean-ups are in doubt. MCSO photo
Says Wheeler is responsive to concerns
“[Multnomah County] Chair Ted Wheeler has been responsive to our concerns‚ as much as a $15 million overall ‘budget hole’ will allow him to be.”
Instead of holding off making cuts in the future, Giusto said Wheeler is making cuts starting this year. “He’ll be making a cut, county-wide, of $10 million this year and $5 million next year.
“But, on top of the cuts we’ve taken at the Sheriff’s Office — $6 million one year, $8 million another year and another $5 million cut this year ‚Äì these cuts are starting to get very painful. The cumulative effect of these cuts is this: We’ve run out of services that are debatable‚ wondering whether or not they’re important.”
Core services reduced
In other words, the Sheriff’s office will start making cuts to core services, Giusto clarifies for us.
“We are now down to ’emergency response’ levels of funding. This includes investigations, drug investigations, patrol and river patrol.”
Giusto pauses, and adds, “Although, yesterday, the Chair did add back $750,000 for River Patrol.”
Had some funding not been restored, Giusto states frankly, he’d have to make deep internal cuts to keep the River Patrol in operation. “The River Patrol either has to be funded at a reasonable level, or we have to stop providing this service. But, we can’t get ‘out of the business’ because nobody else does it. We have the equipment, trained personnel‚ and a state mandate that we provide this service.”
Redefining services to East County
“What this means for East County is this,” the sheriff continues. “We’re working with Gresham to redefine our services.”
This is difficult, he says, “Because where you find drugs, you find crime. Drugs and crime go together. As you know, we work with East Precinct’s CRU [Crime Reduction Unit]‚ and we’ve reduced crime. But now, violent drug-related crime is popping up on Gresham and East County on a regular basis.
“Major incidents in Gresham of shooting and stabbings, drug killings, are going to increase — now that they’ve reached that 100,000 population mark. This is hugely problematic. When cities grow to this size, they start to experience big-city crime.
“Gresham has a couple of choices. They have to get serious about funding some officers for ‘street crimes’ unit. They only have two FTEs [full time officers] right now. It’s a good start, but it’s ineffectual against mid-level drug dealers.
East Portland: something has to give
We ask, “Let’s talk about your work with East Precinct’s Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) and the Regional Organized Crime Narcotics Agency (ROCN). If there are budget cuts, what can we expect?”
Giusto thinks for a moment and replies, “We’re still working on how to move our personnel around. But, something has to give. We may have to give up drug investigators and release deputies to do general [crime] investigations.
“But, the fact of the matter is, downstream, the things SIU is doing to reduce drug-related activities are more important than anything else. We can’t let drug dealers run wild. That’s a bad idea.”
“We can’t let drug dealers run wild. That’s a bad idea,” says Giusto.
Migrating crime to East County
“The crooks go to the places of least resistance. If Portland keeps pushing hard, they’ll go to Gresham or East County. They don’t quit. They just go somewhere else. And, we really don’t want East Multnomah County to be the place they go.
“If you don’t think East County is ‘growing up’‚ last month, we had our first drive-by shooting in City of Wood Village at 7:30 in the morning. We’re ‘growing up’ in a way that isn’t very good. It’s happening before our eyes. We’ve got to recognize what’s going on.”
What you can do
We ask Sheriff Giusto if there is anything citizens can do to support law enforcement.
“Express your priorities around public safety, law enforcement presence, and jail beds to your County Commissioners,” replies Giusto.
“Secondly, if the County can work with the City of Gresham or other jurisdictions, these governments must ask citizens to help fund an increased law enforce presence.
“Gresham has run out ability to address the problems. They’re doing a good job with [the funding and officers] they have. But when you only have 106 police officers, in a city of 100,000 people‚ this isn’t a good ratio.
“Gresham, and the east end of East Precinct, has become the ‘poverty center’ of the county. This means not only more crime, but also more victimization. It’s tough to ask citizens to help sometimes, but we need to be able to provide service.”
“Anything else?” we ask
“We’re not opening our new jail this year, either. We’re having our third birthday party out there‚ empty,” concludes Giusto.
Editor’s note: the Multnomah County budget is currently in its draft form; it is not finalized until June. Contact your county commissioner to express your views now.
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
Find out why this internationally-known outer
East Portland firm makes sure each Portland firefighter has a
Multi-Tool‚ and why the firefighters are happy about it‚
Portland Fire & Rescue firefighter Luis Martinez says his Multi-Tool comes in handy almost every day.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
When
seconds count, how do Portland Fire & Rescue firefighters cut
wires, adjust rescue equipment, or make an on-the-spot repair? They
reach for their Leatherman Multi-Tool.
So maybe the Leatherman tool can’t cut victims out
of a crushed car quite like the Jaws of Life, or see in the dark as
does a thermal imager, but firefighters like Luis Martinez say they are
grateful to receive the handy pocket-sized tool‚ as a gift from the
manufacturer.
An awesome gift
“This
is an awesome gift,” Martinez tells us. “I use mine almost every day.
All the firefighters I know carry their Leatherman on their hip; this
is one thing that doesn’t sit in the drawer. Most guys have two‚ one on
their regular uniform, and one in their turnout pocket.”
Not only is it a tool well-designed for
firefighters, Martinez adds, “It’s great that a local company steps up
to help us, by donating them to the bureau.”
Portland Fire & Rescue’s Lt. Allen
Oswalt; Battlion Chief 3 Chris Babcock and Leatherman Tool’s Roger
Bjorklund and Juli Warner get together for a photo, at the formal
presentation of the Multi-Tools to the bureau.
Firefighters a good source of product feedback
“With
new recruits coming into the bureau,” says Roger Bjorklund, VP
Marketing Leatherman Tool Group, “we know City budgets are tight,
especially to buy products like this. We wanted to make sure all of our
Portland firefighters were able to carry the Multi-Tool.”
Although firefighters aren’t involved in any formal
product research project, “They’re great at giving product feedback,”
explained Bjorklund. “They use the Multi-Tools so much; they’ve given
us good ideas about how to improve our products. We’ve all benefited
from the relationship.”
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
This story reads like an action-movie script. And, see why detectives say conflicting information leads them to believe this crime may be drug related‚
After the report of an armed home invasion, police mobilize SERT officers on SE 92nd Ave., three blocks north of the target house.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A resident is taking a late afternoon nap. Suddenly, he hears the door crashing in. Shaking off the cobwebs of sleep, he somehow knows the home-invading bandits have guns, and figures it’s best to get out.
Clad only in boxer shorts, the victim grabs his cell phone, bolts out another door, and calls 9-1-1. He tells operators three armed men just busted into his house.
Even though the location is about as far south as one can go on SE 92nd Avenue while remaining within Portland city limits, cop cars arrive in a flash. Officers sprint from their cars and collar two suspected robbers as they stroll out of the house.
Portland Police Bureau Commander Michael Crebs heads into the “Mobile Precinct” to coordinate the operation.
One reportedly armed thug not found
With one armed bandit presumed to be still on the lam, officials activate the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT).
From across Portland, SERT officers roll up “code three”, and gather under the I-205 viaduct on SE 92nd Avenue. The precinct commander steps into the Mobile Precinct, and takes charge of the unfolding situation.
Not an action movie
While this tale may seem like the story line from a thrilling action-adventure movie‚ the scenario actually played out at 4:47 p.m. on March 11, in the 8500 block of SE 92nd Avenue at SE Clatsop Street. It disrupted the lives of residents for a four-block radius.
We arrive on-scene shortly after the call-out. Portland Police Bureau’s Sgt. Brian Schmautz filled us in on the developing situation.
Armored SERT vehicles arrive on scene.
“If there was a third individual,” Schmautz tells us, early in the event, “this person may have gotten out in the very short time it took us to set the perimeter [a dragnet of officers]. Either the third suspect bolted from the house, or is still inside. Because we’ve found two suspects armed with handguns, we’re not going to take a chance. Protocol is to activate SERT.”
SERT is activated, Schmautz explains, whenever the best information available alerts them that an armed person has barricaded him or herself in a building. The Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT), attempts to make contact. The commander makes the decision on whether, and if so when, to deploy SERT into the building.
This woman came up to police lines, saying she is a resident of the target house. She was not allowed past the yellow police tape that cordoned off the area.
Draw a tight dragnet
Police swarm the area, all activity coordinated by the police official in charge, East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs.
No one‚ for any reason‚ is allowed in or out of the quarantined area.
Neighbor Bob Hamilton shakes hands with an officer‚ and waits to go to his home just one block away‚ but located within the quarantined zone.
From where he stands with us at SE 92nd Avenue and SE Crystal Springs Drive, neighbor Bob Hamilton can see his house, a block away.
“I’ve talked with my wife. She’s OK,” says Hamilton. “It looks like the police have this really well organized. They’re doing what they have to do; they’re not letting someone run around the neighborhood with a gun.”
A TV reporter asked Hamilton if crime near his home frightened. “Not really,” he responds, “there’s crime all over Portland.”
Reports “extenuating circumstances”
Schmautz stays at the event, updating reporters with what little news becomes available.
We ask the police spokesman, “What, specifically, did the victim say that leads police to believe there were three‚ not two or four‚ assailants?”
“Our situation intelligence people from HNT talked to the resident,” Schmautz informs us; “and detectives are talking to the two captured suspects. There are some extenuating circumstances, we’ve learned.” He doesn’t elaborate.
After hours of “loud-hailing” fails to produce a suspect, SERT officers shoot tear gas grenades into the house.
SERT makes entry
Darkness falls on this drizzly evening. After hours of “loud-hailing” the house, the commander orders the SERT entry team to search the house.
We hear a “pop, pop, pop”‚ the sound of teargas canisters being lobbed into the house. Dressed in heavy body armor, SERT officers storm inside.
A room-by-room search produces no third suspect‚ only a dog, limp from inhaling teargas, is carried from the house.
Police say that this man, Reynaldo Chamizo-Zayas, was sleeping, when the home-invading robbers broke in his door, causing him to flee.
Situation still under investigation
No third suspect was ever located, either in or out of the house. Officials aren’t saying whether they still believe the report that there actually were three suspects involved in the home invasion.
Schmautz later states that the victim, 34-year-old Reynaldo Chamizo-Zayas, gave police detectives conflicting information about the crime. “Information obtained during interviews has led detectives to believe that this crime is drug-related,” he reports.
Owners of the house board up the door broken by the bandits, and the windows busted out by teargas rounds.
As clean-up efforts begin on the broken-into house, police continue to investigate this case.
In the wee hours of April 12, detectives book 31-year-old Jossean Rivera and 29-year-old Juan Aguilar-Fernandez in connection with the home-invasion robbery. Both are charged with one count of Burglary in the First Degree, and three counts of Theft in the First Degree.
Authorities say these two men, Jossean Rivera and Juan Aguilar-Fernandez, were caught red-handed with cash, guns, and stolen I-Pod in hand.
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News Service
