Inbox

[July 9th, 2008]

LAW ENFORCEMENT BY COMMISSION?

It is unfortunate that your article [“Manhunter,” WW, July 2, 2008] gives the impression that crooks with warrants roam our streets because we don’t have “head-hunters” chasing them, busting their heads and making life tough for them. Is it also your message that people with guns and a minimum of training and oversight should be allowed unlimited access to our community so they can expand their commissions? Are we supposed to be shocked into action because a foul-mouthed headhunter says Oregon is a “laughingstock” in an effort to expand his own “hunting ground?” I disagree.

Please, don’t refer to “bounty hunters” as being part of the criminal justice system—that is an insult to the criminal justice professionals in Oregon who make less than $75,000 a year yet have no choice over whom they must apprehend, guard, or supervise. And they do the work to protect and serve the public, because, as shown in most psychological exams of potential law enforcement recruits, they are joining up because they “want to help those who need assistance,” not just bust criminals.

Your article did not mention if Washington state requires psychological testing of bounty hunters—or would testing greatly reduce the pool of wanna-be cops that can’t find a real law enforcement career?

Consider this—many criminal justice professionals have a tendency to frown on officers who refer to criminals as “assholes,” other vulgar names, or any name that dehumanizes the person, such as referring to them as “dogs,” or “vermin,” etc. If you already view the person you are trying to apprehend as sub-human, then you are more likely to use excessive force, whether called for or not.

I don’t believe bounty hunters subscribe to many of the higher criminal justice standards—and do we want law enforcement by quota and commission?

Dave Paul
Parole and probation officer, Portland

CORRECTION: In last week’s “Broadcast Dues,” WW incorrectly reported that the Portland Beavers’ Rich Burk had applied to Atlanta as an announcer. The teams he applied to were Anaheim, Colorado, Milwaukee and St. Louis. We regret the error. Also, a clarification on Burk’s status as a “finalist” in those interviews: He says he was told “during and after the process” that he had been among the final three, five or 10 candidates for various teams, but that he was never interviewed.