City's Gun-Crime Exclusions, So Far, Mostly Affect Black Portlanders

portlandmercury.com ^ | 16 July, 2012 | Denis C. Theriault

[marktwain]

Nearly two years after Mayor Sam Adams first announced plans for a package of local gun ordinances meant to ease gang shootings—including a controversial plan to exclude gun criminals from shooting hotspots—an oversight committee has released a report that, at first blush, appears to confirm some of the worst fears raised by civil liberties advocates.

So far, of 42 people convicted or charged with a gun crime, and then given an exclusion, 36 are African-American. In other words, 75 percent of everyone told they can't come back to one of the three zones, in downtown, along Interstate 5 in North Portland, and outer Southeast near Gresham, is black. Portland's black population is just about 6 percent.

The report comes with a pair of pie charts—and a quick statement about what those graphs might appear to be saying about racial bias.

Screen_shot_2012-07-16_at_11.44.02_AM.png

African-American leaders, while applauding efforts to reduce gun violence, had long warned that their community might be disproportionately affected by the exclusions. The North Portland hotspot, the largest of the three, straddles neighborhoods that—while maybe no longer majority black—still have more African Americans than many other parts of the city.

But after acknowledging that first impression, the report goes on to reject it. In fact, it claims the hotspot exclusions are actually making black neighborhoods safer.

[marktwain]

The article goes on to say that 54 percent of the known offenders are black, while the black population of the area is 6 percent.

[bill1952]

African-American leaders, while applauding efforts to reduce gun violence, had long warned that their community might be disproportionately affected by the exclusions.

Hahahahaha - dumba** who could have told them that outcome? :)

[LearsFool]

Exile for trouble-makers. I like it.

[ThanhPhero]

And how do they enforce these exclusions” Do the bad guys meekly obey the law about exclusion areas as faithfully as they obey the laws about possession and use of firearms?

[PapaBear3625]

And how do they enforce these exclusions” Do the bad guys meekly obey the law about exclusion areas as faithfully as they obey the laws about possession and use of firearms?

I would guess that if they were caught in the excluded area so much as jaywalking, then they would be subject to arrest and jail.

In older times, there was the concept of banishment and outlawry, where the offender was subject to being killed if he returned, and nothing that any citizen did to him could be punished as a crime. Perhaps we may eventually need to go back to that, where if a citizen in good standing kills a felon, the automatic presumption is that the citizen had a justifiable reason to do so. Sort of "Stand Your Ground" on steroids.

[LearsFool]

As always, the people have to want their communities cleaned up.

If they want these thugs roaming through their neighborhoods, they’ll just look the other way. And the message will go out that this community shelters thugs from the law.

But if the community wants the thugs kept out, the law will now stand behind them. And word will go out that thugs are not welcome there.

It’s a start - a very good start - as it puts the decision back into the hands of the people.

[Disambiguator]

The report comes with a pair of pie charts—and a quick statement about what those graphs might appear to be saying about racial bias.

The racial bias is self-inflicted by the blacks. Maybe if they didn't commit so much crime, the statistics wouldn't be so "biased" against them.

They try to paint it like some kind of hidden racism is skewing the numbers, but they are what they are.

[NativeSon]

And how do they enforce these exclusions

you could tag and release them - nice new ankle bracelet