Ronald Borst Photo

Who: Ronald Borst
Where: Albany, Oregon
What: Hobby Photographer

Canon 7D & EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM

Albany's Millions Dollar Police Bond and Why APD Should Not Get That Money

It is Albany, Oregon. Quiet, quaint, and suspiciously asking for twenty-five million bucks to build a new police station. Albany's Police Department needs ethics training, and not a new stationhouse.

The bond is actually a combination of emergency services, with part of that $25 million to go for a new downtown firestation. But nobody can deny APD's unsatisfactory performance, and few support a new police building.

Why? Aren't the police our local heroes? Not in Albany, where one officer recently fired her weapon at a "suspicious" individual in a "suspicious" car in the Walmart parking lot.

Two pending lawsuits, detail the squad's cutthroat approach to public relations, and other officers have been fired as well.

The days of Albany's police working as public servants, seems to be waning, in favor of a militarized force. APD has had dozens of recent complaints concerning aggressive and illegal interaction with the public. Two recent Facebook videos have documented those stops. Requests for interviews were declined. But the facts are such, that before we give an overzealous police force tens of millions of dollars, we should ask ourselves:

What does Albany get in return?

Very little, it would seem. Many complaints exist about the current state of APD, and most complaints are unknown. Local media simply do not have much access to those complaints. In one recent complaint, a Facebook video that documents only an opinion about excessive force. But the point is clear, the victim was stopped illegally, and subsequently roughed up and then released.

Albany has a history of police excessive force and shameful policework. Local attorney Kirk Tibbets said, "I've seen police reports that looked suspicious, like the officer was hiding something." That assessment came after APD's Glen Fairall made an ultra-aggressive arrest.

Fairall has been moved to the Sex Crimes Unit, where that sort of aggression is needed and is easier to hide.

In 2010, Albany Officer Rick Hawley was arrested on multiple sex-crime charges, and released by APD. Also in 2010, after six years of litigation and delay, APD's John Fowler accepted a plea for crimes attached to an affair with his girlfriend's teenage daughter. The same year, Officer Anthony Rose was found to have been sending nude photos while on duty, albeit to his own girlfriend.

Perhaps the most notorious of Albany's litigations, is the Michael Hudgins case, where Albany paid out over two million dollars in settlement costs, in addition to its own costs. Those costs were the consequence of running a crooked ship, as Hudgins' attorney accused APD leadership of a sting, a sting designed to "get" Hudgins for exposing APD abuses.

This is only the tip of the iceberg that defines the Albany Police Department. Complaints of abusive traffic stops and excessive-force arrests by APD, are numerous.

Officer Jeff Hinrich once approached protesters aggressively, and when one balked, Hinrich wrestled the man down, and repeatedly yelled at the protester. That protester was a Vietnam veteran who was protesting war in the Middle East. Hinrich also engaged spectators at the incident, and claimed that the spectators "did not know the man's crimes." Hinrich also claimed the spectators were "drunk or high."

And two pending lawsuits, are a good start in answering as to why APD does not need a twenty-five million dollar bond. The two suits, deemed inaccurately "whistleblower" suits by local media, are the culmination of two officers quest for power within their duties as officers.

Steve Corder, one-time Interim Chief of Police, is suing, based on passed-up promotion and inadequacy problems within the department. The odd thing about Corder's suit, is that until he was passed up for the head job, Corder hadn't spoke up in regard to the "problems." Perhaps, this is because Corder was part of the problem. Corder claims the suit is about APD problems, and that may be true, but Corder was an APD from 1993 to present, and I question why the claims against APD didn't come sooner. The Democrat Herald reported that Corder asked to be reassigned to patrol in 2005, after his former boss was fired. That is where the problems started, as Corder was Chief Joe Simon's right hand.

Simon was fired because of the cowboy-cop ideology that permeates police forces across the country.

Ryon McHuron, another former Albany officer, is also suing. McHuron was a central figure in the Hudgins suit, and like much of APD, McHuron was complained about. Even as McHuron won a service award for his part in an avoided suicide upon the Willamette Bridge, the officer was having issues regarding excessive force and poor quality policework. Those complaints would culminate in his being fired, and subsequent lawsuit.

Beyond the lawsuits, an atmosphere of arbitrary and discriminatory policework exists.

In 2013, Sergeant Jerry Drum reconstructed a fatal accident that happened on Foster Dam in Sweet Home, and concluded incorrectly, the details of that accident. Drum's assertions were countered by a defense scientist, and Drum's testimony was ultimately disregarded by everyone but the state.

On multiple occasions, Officer Troy Mikkelson has engaged in aggressive and inept policework. From falsely assuming DUII to disregarding local theft, Mikkelson has complied with APD's tendency to simply ignore real public service. A theft at the local college sent Mikkelson to the school. After the initial report, APD did nothing to catch the criminal. "Nobody ever called me," said Mikkelson, "nobody ever called and said 'I seen this guy.'"

Mikkelson never staked out the gallery where the art was stolen, even though the college had surveillance video that showed the thief. He was undoubtedly a student, and would have been easy to stake out.

In 2013, Officer Nate Ard took an assault report from a citizen, and supposedly created a criminal file, but that information was never relayed to the victim, even after multiple requests were made for it.

In 2013, Officer Bob Ledford twice left his partner in a traffic stop, to confront media who had set up half a block away. Ledford later claimed that the journalist was "circling the traffic stop."

In another faulty move, Ledford, during a traffic stop, left his partner and approached media and stated, "We have arrested you many times," but Ledford could not identify the media representative by name.

On YouTube, a video shows APD's Jim Estes during a traffic stop concerning "open carry" law. Estes remains professional, but questions persist. One glaring question is the officer's AR15, which is typical of APD expenditures: Overkill and unnecessary.

Estes once stopped a bicyclist for riding on the wrong side of the street, and took down that rider's camera info, but did not record any facts about the six-hundred dollar bike. It seems only cameras interest Estes. Bikes are just too hard too pursue, and not much glory in returning a bike to its owner. A camera, "now that is an quite item," said Estes.

Albany Police supposedly purchased high-tech thermal-vision goggles, but nobody seems to have information on this extravagant purchase.

Officer Jen Williams has also had issues with patrols. Williams, at different times, has ignored crime and instead focused on a personal problem with the victim. One of those instances, Williams failed to catch a pill-popping bike thief, a thief that ended up in jail days later. Williams lazy approach to her work, kept Albany citizens vulnerable to crime that APD is unwilling to pursue. Getting APD to pursue bike theft, for example, is akin to pulling teeth from an alligator...it doesn't happen.

Make no mistake, some cops do their job professionally. Many do not like Officer Robert Hayes, but Hayes has made an impact in lowering city DUII numbers. Even if some of those stops are illegal.

Jerry Drum, personable and friendly, has also been instrumental in regard to policing Albany. But in spite of Drum's openness and ethics, questions remain as to Drum's capabilities. The misconstrued accident reconstruction could have sent a man to prison, and illustrates the often compromised investigations by APD. Drum, as well as Lebanon PD, Sweet Home PD, and the Linn County District Attorney, all cut corners in regard to that case. The police investigation team also left much evidence at the scene, which was later taken by the defense in that case, and presented at trial.

Curtis Hyde, well known and friendly, did not respond to requests for an interview, nor did he respond to questions about a local theft. Officer Ken Fandrem took that theft report, and he too, did not pursue any of the case. The theft was later cracked by a citizen, who found the thief and the merchandise, in San Francisco.

Officer Damon Struble was also questioned in regard to false police reports filed by police, and said, "In your case, I had no facts." But Struble did have facts, and later, when the case was dismissed by the city attorney, that attorney said, "We call this Contempt of Cop."

What that means is that police have an air of aboveness, where they consider themselves to be the actual laws that govern citizens. Some cops merely believe they have instant credibility.

Struble later quit the force, as many were being fired. "I didn't like the direction the force was going," Struble said.

What we have here, is simply inadequate policework, and it encompasses Albany Police. The problem is not just a few inept cops, but rather an outdated ideology that compromises citizens freedoms and safety. Far too much tactical gear, and not enough footwork. And too many cowboy cops.

Which brings us back to the bond. The police say that they need a new building. Even the local paper went as far as to document the police building woes, quoting APD saying, "We have no room. We have boxes stacked up everywhere."

The police services building on Jackson was built in 1988, and a selling point was the opportunity to expand that building, saving taxpayers in the long run. Now, APD wants to move from that locale, and build a brand new building.

Three points here:

1. Why not expand the current building, especially since the jail sits there?
2. Currently, the amount of waste within APD warrants an examination of expenses, especially in the wake of such a large and expensive bond.
3. Reports of cramped spaces at APD have been grossly overstated, which brings the question: What else is being lied about?

Much of the public discussion concerning this bond, was about APD spending. APD has overpriced SUVs and overpriced AR15 assault rifles. APD has rarely used tactical gear and hardly deployed weapons, yet cannot find the time to chase down car break-ins and bicycle thefts. Often, traffic stops are aggressive and rude. Combining anti-citizen tactics, with lazy policework and overspending, taxpayers in Albany should not approve this bond.

The mere inclusion of Pepsi funds(won in a settlement) is a reason to not fund this bond request. Why would citizens want to spend that money on a police force that is so out of touch with its public?

Albany needs more resourceful police, not a new station that would cost close to fifteen million dollars.

Why Ray Rice Should Be Rehabilitated, and Why Violence Is Tolerated

It was a brutal knockout left hand, delivered to his then fiancee. Months later, after pseudo courts and shoddy investigating, the truth about that knockout blow, came to light.

In the aftermath, an NFL suspension and massive media scrutiny, questions about how to proceed from here, remain answerless, to a degree.

Ray Rice photo courtesy Wikipedia

We are aware of the widespread and deserved scrutiny upon Ray Rice, and we are also aware of the empathy in our feelings for the victim. She is the only victim here, in this particular case.

What I think should happen, to not only the victim, but also to society, is the continuing chance to live healthfully, and without fear of violence. Two paths exist to that healthy and non-violent lifestyle.

One is with Ray Rice, as is the circumstance at this date. The second path is obvious, and that is without Ray Rice. There are some that will say the latter is the absolute path, and they may indeed be true. But because we have publicly witnessed the contrary, we should address the victim's health, in that regard.

What can the NFL, the judicial branch, law enforcement, and society do, to ensure that the horrendous act we saw on video, of a beaten female victim, unconscious in a casino elevator, will never happen again? Is there anything, anyone can do, to guarantee this act does not repeat itself?

Maybe there is.

The first step should obviously be to address the health of the victim. And although I do not have any facts about anything that has transpired between Ray Rice and his victim, other than media reports about a press conference with the NFL, and of course, the marriage between Rice and the victim, a marriage that happened sometime between February and August of 2014.

Ray Rice obviously needs intense and proactive counseling, the kind that is constant and interactive in nature. That kind of rehabilitation is absolutely needed to guarantee the victim's rights and safety. Ray Rice, no matter how pathetic he is, also deserves some sort of chance at rehab, if for nothing other than being a human being. This approach too, guarantees at least a chance of a non-violent existence, and that alone should be the focus of our efforts.

Ray Rice should be charged formally, with Assault, and that will probably happen. In the meantime, we should examine why we let this happen, and what we as a country need to do to prevent it.

Violence is no stranger to America, and from the earliest days, violence has been our working hand. To protect the vulnerable, America would be wise to ask: Who else is to blame here?

Of course, the crime itself, the vicious attack, is Ray Rice and Ray Rice only. But what happened afterwards, may also be criminal. The criminal behavior I am referring to, is the blatant disregard to the evidence and to the victim. Law enforcement and the NFL, had the video of the crime, and did nothing. Law enforcement had witnesses, and did nothing. The Ravens, had evidence, and did nothing except hide the truth and protect their money running back. The NFL, had not only evidence, but the power to conduct a real inquiry, and did nothing other than intimidate the victim and cover for their star running back.

If America's judicial branch does not come down hard on the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens, and the law enforcement personnel who orchestrated this cover-up, then citizens should question their government, and demand accountability and action.

America should wake up, and realize that money at the top prevents action. Money at the bottom -ground level, so to speak- is the saving grace of entities like the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence. CARDV and other women's advocates, depend not only on your money, but also your intent on vilifying violence against women. According to the CARDV website, men commit 95% of domestic violence crime.

Violence is tolerated in America, because our society is afraid to give up that power. Control is power, and money is power, and the NFL has all three. So does society. We cater to racism in the form of Westboro Baptist Church free speech, and we cater to violence upon women by turning the other cheek and cheering the NFL on Sundays, ignoring our own mothers, sisters, and daughters. We glorify video games like Grand Theft Auto, with its scenes of violence, ultimately chosen by the game-player themself. It is simple tragedy, and the way to stop it is by demanding action from those in power, and by teaching not only our children, but also our adults, how to prevent violence.

The NFL and the Baltimore Ravens owe the victim and they owe society. Every effort should be made, to accommodate the victim's return to perfect physical and mental health. The NFL should also invest in education and resources that devalue violence and promote healthy relationships.

The only way to a progressive future, one where women have no fear, is to proactively protect women's rights, by having appropriate consequences (jail time in this instance), and appropriate rehabilitation. Caring about the victim, means caring about her future.

For information and help:

http://www.thehotline.org/
http://www.whbw.org/programs/24-hour-hotline/

Tie Dye Travels

A few years ago, I was wrangled in to preparing some banners for a music concert. There wasn't much wrangling, I love music.

There was plenty of tie-dye. The tapestry banners were made by Mr. Tie Dye, Carl McClellan, of Corvallis, Oregon. They were beautiful tapestries, brightly colored and crisply detailed. Awesome is a word that comes to mind.

These days, McClellan is still at it, pumping out tie-dye at an eye-popping rate. T-shirts, shoes, hoodies, tapestries...the tie-dye production line never ceases. McClellan says that is why he does it. "I love what I do," he said with a shrug. It comes natural, to Mr. Tie Dye.

McClellan operates Mr. Tie Dye out of his Corvallis, Oregon home, and sells on Etsy. A bio on the Mr. Tie Dye website, introduces McClellan and his work. Business is steady, so order ahead of expectation dates. Following McClellan is easy, as Mr. Tie Dye is on Facebook.

Tie-dying for over a decade now, McClellan has learned to accept the random nature of tie-dye. "Tie-dye can't be controlled, it goes where it wants to go," he said. Even so, McClellan's works show fine detail. Incorporated in the tie-dye clothing, are bear faces, ducks, dragonflies, guitars, and whatever else McClellan conjures up. "I just go where it takes me," said McClellan, "I draw inspiration from all avenues."

As the 2014 summer closes, McClellan has been busy with his latest project, a 10,000 square foot labyrinth called "Peace." The huge art piece has 115 separate parts, all prepared by hand. The process is extremely technical and tedious.

Soaked in a homemade solution and half-dried, the material is then dyed damp. The tying process requires good hand, eye, and math skills. McClellan often sketches the "lines," measuring painstakingly accurate dimensions, before beginning the tying process. Then, after carefully folding and tying the fabric, loose ends are buttoned up and crinkly folds are added. "It(crinkly folds) gives depth and texture," McClellan noted.

The material is then washed and dried, and stored in totes. The quality of McClellan's materials, and the meticulous process involved in the craft, help insure the tie-dye stays vivid and sharp.

"Peace" is scheduled to be a main attraction at the Saint Francis Festival in Hayfork, California, beginning September 26, and running until October 5. The festival, the world's largest tie-dye exposition, focuses on American made and distributed products, something McClellan is proud of. "It is a group effort," he said, referring to the festival's American focus.

Mr. Tie Dye offers custom t-shirts, hoodies, home decor, hair-ties, towels, and tie-dyed Converse All-Stars, McClellan's most popular product. All products are hand dyed to McClellan's standards, and are made from the finest of materials. Scrap material, is saved and re-used for curtains and hair-ties. Even the homemade rinse, is recycled and re-used.

At St. Francis, McClellan will lead workshops on techniques and t-shirt tie-dying. McClellan has never attended the festival, and is looking forward to the exposure and the sharing of his craft. "I would like to travel and eventually rent out the labyrinth," he said.

McClellan is busy these days, and between the "Peace" project and the clothing orders, there is not much time for anything else. My guess is, he wouldn't have it any other way.