bahmer

Portland Police Declare Tracking Gang Affiliation Is Racist
Portland PD will purge the gang member database it has developed over the last 20 years because it "disproportionately affected minorities."
Mugshots of MS-13 gang members Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
ByTYLER DAHNKE
@tylerdahnke
September 21, 2017
On October 15th, police officers in Portland, Oregon will no longer have the means to tag known gang members with an official "gang designation." The Portland Police Department has decided to stop identifying gang members and purge the gang member database it has developed over the last 20 years.

According to The Oregonian, before this decision to change policy was made, "Police were able to add someone to the list if the person self-identified as a member of a gang, participated in a gang initiation ritual, committed a gang-related crime or displayed two or more observable signs of gang membership."

The ability to track gang designations is obviously beneficial to police. Basic common sense tells us there are huge benefits in knowing more about a suspected perpetrator. Known gang affiliations help police officers know where to look for suspects, narrow lists of possible accomplices, and ask the right people the right questions.

Despite these benefits, community organizers in Portland have strongly expressed dissatisfaction with identifying and labeling individuals as "gang" members because they believe this has "disproportionately affected minorities." The Sentencing Project notes that despite making up just 13% of the population in Oregon, African Americans represent 38% of the state’s penitentiary inmates. Additionally, 21% of Oregon’s prisoners are Hispanic, despite making up only 17% of the population. Known violent gangs like the Bloods, Crips, and MS-13 are not known as racially diverse groups, but rather have specific race-based identities.

Carli Brosseau reported In The Oregonian in late 2016 that, "Of the 359 'criminal gang affiliates' flagged in Portland’s database as of August, 81 percent were part of a racial or ethnic minority."

Black Male Achievement, a group which lobbied for the change, doesn’t see it that way. C.J. Robbins, BMA’s program coordinator, said, "It takes courage for the bureau to take this step." Wouldn't Mr. Robbins' time be better spent working with youths to keep them out of gangs in the first place? Portland’s Mayor, Ted Wheeler, apparently agreed with removing the designation as well. He said, "This is too long coming. It was the right thing to do."

Incredibly, some on the left don't think the Portland P.D.'s politically correct actions go far enough. According to The Oregonian, "Roberta Phillip-Robbins, executive director of MRG Foundation that works for social justice and against racial inequities, asked police what steps they’re taking to get rid of 'other forms of profiling?'"

The department has countered criticism of the gang designation removal with assurances that they will continue to investigate gang crimes, but without labeling individuals. Captain Mike Krantz, who helped lead the charge, said, "What we’re really investigating is the violent crime."

This is like saying, after a terrorist attack, that it’s not appropriate to speculate as to whether the perpetrators are associated with ISIS, Al Qaeda, the Taliban or Hamas. It’s pure politically correct stupidity, and just one more example of how the left is destroying the rule of law in this country. Labels aren’t the issue, it’s members of gangs committing violent crimes that Portland needs to tackle; and pretending gang membership is not relevant is pure fantasy.

peter11937 Loc: NYS

It is as if they want to make the Darwin list of those who do not live to reproduce. There's a good chance many will achieve this "goal"!

E

Wow, They started making this good list, twenty years ago. And now they have set Portland's crime fighting back exactly 20 years. Pathetic bunch of leftist fools. That's like not listing mob members because they are Italians. Just utterly stupid. They weren't listing Italians. They were listing mob members.

pickmeup Loc: Mid Michigan

After reading this I kind of get a sick feeling in my stomach. Maybe 0ne those PC bureaucrats will get a taste of the whirlwind they are creating. When one these gang members do something to them or theirs.

bahmer

This is sort of like in 2011 when Obama's White House ordered a cleansing of training materials that Islamic groups deemed offensive.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

America 1 Loc: South Miami

Is it possible to become any more stupid.
This is insanity.

bggamers Loc: georgia

I see the virus has spread from california .Dumbitis it seems to be getting more contagious hope it stays in that area.