FOXWORTH'S FOXHOLE
In the Trenches With Portland's New Police Chief

Tightening the Screws

While Chief Kroeker was known for his heavy-handed, Los Angeles-style police tactics, Chief Foxworth is generally considered a more easy-going cop. That's one of the reasons it is disappointing that within weeks of being sworn in, Foxworth is tightening the screws on the residents of North and Northeast Portland, where police harassment is as much an issue as crime to many, particularly people of color.

The September 30 Portland Tribune reported that the police were planning "a series of saturation patrol missions" in suspected gang hot-spots, where "officers will enforce traffic laws and use any violations to stop suspected gang members who may have outstanding warrants." In other words, they would be using blatant "pretext stops" in predominantly black neighborhoods.

Northeast Precinct Commander Bret Smith (formerly Captain of Internal Affairs) told theTribune this crackdown has been "pushed from the chief's office down."

The Willamette Week, in its front cover story on Foxworth (October 8) reports: "On a recent Friday night, Foxworth's new relationship with his old neighborhood looked like it would be very tough-love." It relates how Foxworth assigned extra officers to help Sgt. Mike Fort "work the neighborhood in uniform, to send a message to miscreants that things are gonna change."

The article goes on to describe Sgt. Harry Jackson, the subject of numerous misconduct complaints, bellowing to young people whose underage friend just got busted for buying alcohol, "There's a new sheriff in town! Do you get what I'm saying? Everything changes NOW!" Foxworth told WW that this kind of special assignment is how he envisions community policing.

While violent crime is a problem, we urge the new Chief to refrain from going overboard in efforts to show he is not being lenient on the black community.

Quota Quandary May Quickly Create Court Quagmire

The November 26 Willamette Weekreported that Chief Foxworth (through Assistant Chief Stanley Grubbs) instituted a new quota system for patrol officers: 10 traffic tickets or written warnings per month. Since the courts do not like quota systems (as they encourage officers to be over-zealous in enforcing the law and sometimes to give out unwarranted citations), Foxworth told WW: "Although we don't have a traffic quota, we do monitor [officer] productivity." Be watchful of ticket-happy patrol officers, clogged courts, and becoming a victim of police "productivity."