Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Why Does Portland Oregon Bully and Intimidate Minorities and Homeless?


To: Marisa Madrigal, Interim County Chair
      Kim Peoples, Department of Community Services
CC: Multnomah County Commission
CC: Portland City Council
CC: Robert Babcock, Attny
 
 
I am not addressing Michael Oswald, Director of MCAS. Mr Oswald condones officer misconduct towards minority and homeless populations. I am asking that you intervene  in this particular case if it is not too late and that you strongly and affirmatively address the prejudice against Hispanics and homeless persons among MCAS officers.
 
Officer Cherry's manipulation of minorities and impoverished persons is not new, nor is it unique. Tantrum tickets are common forms of officer abuse. It simply has not been corrected.
 
Case Summary : On 11.20.13 Animal Control officer BPPST AC010 ( the name of the officer is a letter " J": no first or last name; a problem Mr. Oswald knows about but will not correct...most officers are not legibly identified on Notices of Infraction) gave Onesimo Lopez Garcia three tickets:
  • NOI 89435 for Tiger, his brindle pit bull: Failure to comply Level 4 $500 (excessive fees are commonly used with the homeless and minorities as part of attempted extorted surrender). Excessive fees don't correct they simply terrify.
  • NOI 89434 for Tiger , Level 1, $75, further violations will result in ownership suspension
  • NOI 89436 for Chata, Level 1, $75 further villations will result in ownership suspension.  
Quite commonly MCAS officers issue disproportionate fines to frighten vulnerable populations. They offer no help. It is part of MCAS's culture of prejudice and bullying. Officers without ethics training or guidance at MCAS have enormous discretion to do as they please. That is well documented.
 
As of this writing, Chata is deceased, shot by a neighbor. Mr Lopez Garcia reports that the animal control officer; he believes it was Officer Cherry. reported shooting a dog for killing a cat was perfectly legal. It is not .
 
Officer Cherry entered the residence and took Tiger,the family pit bull and a companion to 7 and 8 year old children when he was not home. When he arrived home, Tiger had already been loaded into the truck by Officer Cherry. Officer Cherry took the family dog  from minors without permission and she did so from inside the family's home without adults present.  
 
Mr. Lopez Garcia speaks no English. He was crying at the time. He told me that Officer Cherry clearly dislikes pit bulls ( His dogs are gentle family companions, members of the family). Officer Cherry accused him of deception, stating he knew but pretended to lack English fluency.I have heard the same credible bullying about language fluency reported  before from other citizens. I have witnessed it as well. Mr Lopez Garcia has no English fluency at all. Having  just spent 20 minutes speaking with him in Spanish I can assure you of that.
 
Officer Cherry demanded that he sign paperwork. He signed  upon her demand but had no understanding  about what he was signing or why. Officer Cherry took Tiger two days ago and stated that Tiger would be killed automatically in 6 additional days. 
 
Tiger is not on the December 02, 2013 inventory. Did you kill Tiger?
 
Obviously there were constructive solutions. MCAS just rejects them over and over again.
 
How many reports of MCAS malfeasance and misconduct does it take before this county commission  stops human rights violations and officer misconduct at this agency? 
 
Mr. Lopez Garcia is calling the county chair's office for assitance tomorrow. Help him. Do not send him onto the agency that caused the problem and is the source of so much citizen misery and wrongdoing ( the agency's not the public). MCAS management is the problem. Have someone present at the county commission who can commuinicate with him in his native tongue: Spanish.
 
Then do something about the lawlessness at this agency unless you too believe Hispanics, other minorities ( African Americans are in the same position) and the homeless are disposable trash, not  human beings.
 
Gail O'Connell-Babcock, PhD
Citizens for Humane Animal Legislation/Watchdog
Sherwood OR 97140
Telephone: 503.625.4563

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