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This fall saw the end of one of the most valuable tools Portland Police officers have used for nearly 15 years – the drug free zone (DFZ). Along with it, the prostitution free zone (PFZ) was allowed to sunset by our mayor and former chief, Tom Potter. Mayor Potter commissioned a study of these drug and prostitution programs.
The results of that study showed that a disproportionate number of African-Americans were excluded from the drug free zone. The reasons for this are not explored in the report, but that didn't stop the mayor from branding the police as racially biased. "This is disparate enforcement," said Mayor Tom Potter to the Oregonian. Why not just say it smacks of racism?
Once again, the Mayor makes a statement without any regard for how it's going to be received by the working cops in this town. Every officer who has worked in the drug free zone knows why more African-Americans would be excluded, and it has nothing to do with racism. Crack cocaine, for better or worse, is more likely to be used and sold on the streets of these areas by African-Americans, making them more likely to be contacted by police and arrested or excluded.
Cops working the DFZ know that Hispanic drug dealers are largely involved in the trafficking of heroin and powder cocaine. We also know that methamphetamine, more commonly associated with white people, isn't a street level drug served on the street corners of Portland. Not to say you can't find it if you go looking, but it's never been as prevalent as cocaine or heroin. Mayor Potter would know that if he had gone out on the street any time during the last 25 years.
The areas of Portland that will be most affected by the sunset of the DFZ will be the downtown and inner northeast neighborhoods. Despite the DFZ, these areas still have major street level drug problems. The DFZ and PFZ were important tools in our fight to curb the blatant drug dealing, drug use and prostitution that was occurring in the driveways, doorways and storefronts of this community.
It was one of the first real community policing efforts between police officers and community members to deal with a problem that was out of control. Now it's gone, without any regard for how the community or the officers felt. Additional drug treatment and more jail beds certainly will be welcome, but isn't that the job of the county? Instead of using valuable city funds to rent jail beds and pay for drug treatment, should the Mayor be at the County Commission meetings every week demanding that they fund the Sheriff's Office and get the Wapato Jail open and operating?
If we keep paying them for space, they have no incentive to get the proper funding in place. Perhaps the Mayor and Commissioner Randy Leonard should spend a week at the Drug Court and find out that no matter what they believe, it is a revolving door – get sentenced to treatment, failure to appear, go to court, get a new treatment date, go to a few meetings, get re-arrested, get probation with more treatment, violate probation, get sanctioned to more treatment, etc. The City of Portland isn't going to solve this problem by funding more treatment.
The jails are overwhelmed, the courts are overwhelmed, the District Attorney's Office is overwhelmed and throwing money at a problem to make it seem like something is being done is just wasting more money. Limit "drug treatment in lieu of jail" to a one-time option and I'll listen. The second offense should mean jail, with a treatment option after the sentence is served. Otherwise, there is never any incentive to stay off drugs. The Mayor will be out of office in about one year.
The question is – who will replace him, and will they take public safety seriously? And who on the City Council will start to consider public safety when making decisions rather than making political statements that don't take into account input from cops and citizens who actually care about keeping Portland safe. It's time for someone to step up and take the lead on public safety and leave bias politics at home.
Peter Simpson is a detective with the Portland Police Department. He's currently assigned to the Tactical Operations Division and serves as the editor of the Rap Sheet, the official publication of the Portland Police Association. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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