The Rap Sheet is the official monthly publication of the Portland Police Association. The Rap Sheet is the only publication of its kind that represents the interests of men and women working in law enforcement in Portland.

Editor's
Statement

Rap Sheet Editor, Sergeant Peter Simpson
by Rap Sheet Editor,
Sgt. Peter Simpson

Port Police under attack
by management

Anytime I travel through the Portland International Airport, I take a look around to see which police officers are working. Like many of you, I had the pleasure of working with several guys who retired from PPB then moved on to a second career at PDX. Trevarthen, Cancio, Richards, Klick, Harding, and many others have walked the jet ways for the Port of Portland Police over the years and always enjoy seeing guys as they travel to exotic places.

On a recent trip through PDX, I ran into a few guys and asked how things are going out there. I learned that news is grim for the Port of Portland Police. Several jobs are being cut from the budget and reversions are being considered. Wage freezes, furlough days, and elimination of overtime is also in the works.

The frustration I sensed from these officers is not only personal, with respect to frozen wages and unpaid work days, but a sense that those making budget decisions are unconcerned with potential threats and safety at PDX.

The TSA has dozens if not hundreds of screeners at work at the airport and they appear to do a decent job but what are they going to do with a real threat? They are going to notify the Port of Portland Police. By cutting the staffing levels of the sworn police officers, it has a trickle down effect on the overall safety of the traveler.

In the past two years, I’ve been in a lot of airports. Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Newark, Philadelphia, Boston, New York/Kennedy, Dallas, Phoenix ... In almost all of the airports, I notice a lot more uniformed police officers than I do at PDX and I feel safer. When I went through Newark and noticed the National Guardsman in uniform with an M-16, I thought, “These guys take security seriously out here.” I appreciated it and wondered why all airports don’t do it.

Remember the color coded Homeland Security Advisory System? Green, blue, yellow, orange, and red. According to DHS, the current U.S. threat level is “High”, or “Orange”, which means there is a high risk of terrorist activity for all domestic and international flights.

Knowing this, the Port of Portland is eliminating armed police officer positions at PDX. The party line is that the budget won’t allow hiring to fill the positions but as with many public safety agencies overseen by commissions or councils, it’s more likely a different set of priorities using the money, not the safety of the public.

I’m told that the thought process is along the lines of, “9-11 was a long time ago and it won’t happen again.” Really ... really?

If you were a commissioner or council member, would you bet your career on that statement? Would you bet the lives of hundreds of thousands of travelers on a fundamentally unsound belief that another terror attack using passenger airplanes won’t happen?

Another “9-11” may not happen the same way, but I believe that the planning for the next attack began long ago and what it will look like nobody knows yet. Planes may or may not be used but one thing is surely guaranteed – the people who are planning and maybe those who will commit the next U.S. soil terror attack use air travel, they pass through airports, and they are constantly testing our the security of our travel infrastructure. It’s been nearly eight years since “9-11”. The next attack could happen before you read this article.

Now is not the time to eliminate police officers at the Port of Portland. Now more than ever is the time for greater vigilance.

Stay safe.

Sunshine Division
Event at PGE Park

Visit PGE Park on Saturday July 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to kick off the Triple-A All-Star Game weekend. The All-Star Fan Fest, a celebrated kickoff to All-Star Week, will feature a special roundtable of former Portland Beavers and high-profile former major leaguers, including Dale Murphy, Johnny Pesky, Scott Brosius, Eddie Basinski and Artie Wilson, interactive games, special activities, commemorative baseball displays, food, beverages and more. The All-Star Fan Fest will be held at PGE Park.

Bring your non-perishable and canned food donations with you, we’ll be collecting donations too!

The Home Run Derby will be held on Monday July 13 at 7:00 p.m and the Triple-A All-Star Game is set for Wednesday July 15 at 7:00 p.m.

Visit http://www.portlandbeavers.com/promos/allstarinfo/ for more information.