Portand cops on beatings: "We do things different"
Former police recruits have been telling all about the corrupt culture of the Portland Police Bureau in this week's trial of a federal whistleblower lawsuit brought by one of them. The ex-recruit, who says she was fired in retaliation for reporting misconduct, and two others have told some hair-raising stories about their erstwhile supervisors, including present Police Chief Mike Reese. Maximum Maxine Bernstein at the O has been taking it all down:
[Plaintiff Lindsay] Hunt accused [Officer Quency] Ho of repeatedly taking goods without paying for them from a Northeast Portland convenience store; pulling a gun on an unarmed suspect and barging into an apartment without probable cause; telling a citizen to get rid of a knife used in a crime and urging Hunt to alter her police report on the matter.It's alarming, depressing, but alas, not surprising. Click on the links to see what's gone down so far, and stay tuned for more.When Hunt told Ho she wouldn't take anything from the 7-11 Store off Northeast Weidler, he replied, "Come on, we're the effing police. Nobody cares. It's fine," [plaintiff's attorney Dennis] Steinman told jurors....
Her first field coach, Officer Leslie Pintarich, called her later that day, and told her it's not her job "to police the police," Hunt testified. Pintarich also relayed a message that [Officer Bill] Hubner wanted to meet with her again.
They met at Starbucks on Sylvan. Seated outside, Hunt said Hubner started, "So they can't go to 7-11 anymore. You know you really pissed a lot of people off at Northeast. You started a rebellion." He told her the officers at the Northeast precinct don't want to work with her, she testified.
"Are you telling me I'm not going to get backup?" Hunt said she asked. Hunt said he confirmed that, and called her a coward when she voiced her safety concerns....
Lewis said she observed Officers Matthew Delenikos, Matthew Manus and her field training coach Darrell Bill Shaw beat suspects. The force occurred while Mike Reese, now chief of police, was Central Precinct commander....
"Any problems with that?" Shaw, Lewis' field training coach, asked her afterwards, Lewis testified. She said no.
"He said, 'Good, we do things at Central different," Lewis recounted, and told her he could justifiy anything with the bureau's policy manual....
Lewis also testified about two occasions in which her field training coaches would look at a call holding, and decide not to assist another officer based on how they felt about that other officer. They'd say, Lewis testified, "nah, that person's lazy, or that person hasn't backed me up before ...we're not responding to that."
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Comments (14)
"Alarming and depressing" doesn't quite get to it. This sounds straight out of the movie Serpico.
Posted by John Rettig | May 25, 2011 11:51 PM
"Come on, we're the effing police. Nobody cares. It's fine,"
So it's okay for Cops to steal donuts and coffee from 7 / 11?
Officer, you stopped being the good guy and have became a common thug when you starting believing and spouting the above quote.
You are no different than a gang banger if that is how you treat the tax paying public.
Posted by bendover | May 26, 2011 12:43 AM
I would be very surprised if cops stealing from convience stores is a common occurrence. If it can be verified by video tape or officer testimony, simply place the offenders on three months unpaid leave (or terminate their employment) and word will travel fast.
The pronouncement that (paraphrasing) "we are the law" is far more troubling.
Posted by Mister Tee | May 26, 2011 6:38 AM
At what point does the City Attorney's Office take responsibility as an enabler/accomplice of this b.s., when it continues to defend it? The City and Linda Meng's office are stealing from 7/11 just as much as Officer Ho when they continue to stand for this "it's ok for cops to be criminals" crap. The City's policies are making the bad apples proliferate and luster in a rotting barrel. Why, one should wonder, doesn't the "broken glass" theory (PPB's borrowed philosophy from Giuliani's police chief) also apply to the police here? The broken glass theory holds that allowing a few petty crimes encourages bigger crimes to grow and thrive--so the small ones need to be weeded out first. Get real and take responsibility, City Hall. Sick, sick, sick.
Posted by observer | May 26, 2011 7:25 AM
The PPB is simply corrupt. I would be embarrassed to have anything to do with that organization.
Posted by Snards | May 26, 2011 7:43 AM
This is the same old, same old for PDX cops. Back in the 70s, they'd go to Quality Pie on NW 23rd and pay for meals in uniform. Then later they'd come back out of uniform and be reimbursed. When a local paper reported on it, they harassed the reporter. Some of their badges come with a big feeling of entitlement.
Posted by LucsAdvo | May 26, 2011 8:01 AM
This shows just how corrupt the local police really are, in many areas. Like many other corrupt groups.
Gee, maybe since the law does not apply to the Mayor, nor the Gov's girl friend, then maybe it should not apply to the police either? Especially since the police determine which laws apply to them and which do not.
"You are no different than a gang banger if that is how you treat the tax paying public."
Hmmm, what about the other folks that 'treat the tax paying public' like crap? Any developers do that? Public unions and their retirement excesses?
Seems like there are many people groups that 'are no different than gang bangers'.
Posted by Harry | May 26, 2011 8:59 AM
"Some of their badges come with a big feeling of entitlement."
I used to always add the qualifier that this is only "some" of the cops. But these stories make it clear that every cop is complicit in this atmosphere of lawlessness, right up to the Chief. If you aren't complicit, you get run off the force.
I have very little respect left for the Portland Police. The best advice for when you see them is head the other way. If your black, run the other way. Actually, don't run. Because they'll kill you.
Posted by Snards | May 26, 2011 9:03 AM
They don't change either!
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/05/26/1504806/ex-portland-cop-back-in-jail-on.html
Posted by dman | May 26, 2011 10:57 AM
It's tough to be a cop. So many temptations. Scum that need to be knocked around to straighten them out. Coffee, donuts and such free for being such a good cop. But that's why they get paid well and retire on a fine pension way before everybody else. So they'll have a financial reward for resisting the temptations.
Posted by Don | May 26, 2011 11:24 AM
LucsAdvo, good catch. I used to live near Quality Pie back in the day; nice to see that someone else was noticing the activity.
Posted by Max | May 26, 2011 1:40 PM
That's why Quality Pie went out of business in 1991!
Feeding so many cops took it's toll.
Instead, they should have said......
"No pie for you, come back in 2 years".
Posted by Jeff | May 27, 2011 3:25 AM
They reason the clerk turned a blind eye to the donut theif (Portland Cop(s)at N.E Weidler, was he was afraid that he would get choked or SMOKED!
Posted by Jeff | May 27, 2011 3:35 AM
I lived nearby there as well. Saw a situation where a cop was shot at 23rd and Lovejoy.
As for QP, maybe the reimbursement was because they served the worst breakfast I have ever had, before and since that time. /s
However, I never saw any reimbursement activity.
The guy who shot the cop did so, IIRC, with the cop's own weapon. He ran right by me on Lovejoy, being chased by a bunch of civilians while the officer was getting cpr from other officers. The shooter eventually killed himself, as the folks chasing him knew where he holed up.
It was a frightful scene, and later, I realized that I could have been shot myself if the shooter became panicky when he saw me and tried to avoid running into me. At that moment, I had no idea what just went down. I rounded the corner and there was a squad car lights flashing and the officer down. I still didn't know he was shot, but obviously injured. I was going to grab the car radio and call for help when I heard other cars approaching.
Still gives me the willies!
Posted by Lawrence | May 27, 2011 7:54 AM