update

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009961190_deputyfired29m.html
The king county deputy who was filmed beating a 15 year old detainee was fired. He could be barred from joining any Washington police force. The article discusses the use of force and the charges against the deputy. This relates to the police forum held by Pullman police about the use of force.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1794990,w-facebook-poll-obama-investigation-092809.article
The secret service is investigating a facebook poll which asked people whether or not they believed President Obama should be assassinated. Although the poll was taken off the site by facebook officials, the government is still taking the threat seriously.

leg story

The Campus Climate Response Group is attempting to become more proactive after past reactive responses by implementing new safety messages, they said at their Forum Wednesday.

"It is a big job we are trying to tackle, sometimes it is out of crisis," Chris Wuthrich, associate director of student conduct, said.

Steve Nakata, director of communications and public relations, presented the idea of 'social norming' to the group. Instead of telling students not do something we are trying to put a positive spin on the information, Nakata said.

The first step is to focus on a theme and provide a simple message, he said. We don't want the message to be complicated or unclear, Nakata said.

Director of Residence Life, Eleanor Finger, agreed with Nakata. The marketing plan for 'social norming' needs to be provocative and interesting, she said. The campus needs to focus on promoting a healthy campus for faculty and students, Finger said.

The parents also need to be informed, which can be done through the use of the WSU parent newsletter, she said.

Chris Wuthrich placed 'social norming' on the list for the next meeting. Safety is a broad topic so the idea needs to be narrowed down, he said. A timeline needs to be created, like when the best times to reach students are, Wuthrich said.

When asked what the target concern for WSU students is now, Wuthrich said he was unable to answer the question directly.

"Depends on the time of year," he said.

At different times, different risks are higher like when school begins or around the holidays, he said. Yet, for the message the group needs to pick a specific idea like violence or alcohol abuse, Wuthrich said.

The month of October seems focused on sexual assault. The Can I Kiss You? Program occurring October 15th in the CUB auditorium is an assault oriented presentation.

Finger said a lot of students are unclear and uncomfortable about how to navigate intimate circumstances. This dialogue will hopefully help students understand common misinterpretations and address what sexual violence involves, she said.

Also, ASWSU is hosting the second annual safety banquet October 30th.
ASWSU President Derick En'Wezoh represented ASWSU at the meeting.
The banquet is conveniently the day before Halloween which typically is a day that many students have problems, En'Wezoh said.

This year’s speaker used to be a police chief and focuses on assault and safety on college campuses, he said. The speaker is flexible with his time here and can inform the audience about a lot of different things based on his broad area of experience, he said.
Violence on the WSU campus is not a new occurrence. Director of the Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center, or GIESRC, Heidi Stanton said students rallied after the alleged assaults last October.

The assaults were against members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Police offered escorts to at risk students and Women's Transit broadened their ridership to include members of the LGBT community, Stanton said.

Student organizations pushed for WSU to pass a bill changing the definition of sexual orientation under hate crime law. Now, effective since July 26, Washington state senate passed bill 5952 which officially changes this definition.

"We were one step ahead of the state on this one," Stanton said.

Framed in the GIESRC is a copy of SB 5952.
"This bill has been a long time coming," Stanton said.

Washington has been rather progressive, liberal and well intentioned but there is always room to move forward, she said.

"Never settle for the status quo," Stanton said.

During the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee meeting, Chairman Christopher Hurst expressed his dedication to this bill.

"I think that as a society if we do not protect the rights of every single person to live their life as an individual, as a human being and to respect their belief, their sexual orientation, their gender, their religion, then we as a society have failed," Hurst said.

Committee Rep. Sherry Appleton also supported the bill.

"So this is a good bill and I hope it has a lasting effect. That we won’t see any more young people hanging on fence posts or being run over by cars or dragged behind trucks or whatever the horrible incidents have been," Appleton said.

However, opposition still existed for SB 5952. Rep. Kirk Pearson voted no on the bill.

"I'm a father and I have a son in college. I would be outraged if something like that happened to my son at his university or where he is at and I'm outraged that it happened at Washington State University," Pearson said. "I believe a crime is a crime, an assault is an assault. However, what has happened is deplorable. I'm a no but will be interested to see how this bill moves through the process."

The implication of the bill at WSU and in the state has influenced other schools. Stanton said that University of Puget Sound also used WSU's bill for their school's policy.

Contacts:

Sherry Appleton
(360) 786-7934

Derick En'Wezoh
derick_enwezoh@wsu.edu

Eleanor Finger
efinger@wsu.edu
(509) 335-1227

Christopher Hurst
(360) 786- 7866

Steve Nakata
nakata@wsu.edu
(509) 335-1774

Kirk Pearson
(360) 786-7816


Heidi Stanton
hstanton@wsu.edu

Chris Wuthrich
wuthrich@wsu.edu

story outline

1. Forum lede
-Quote Wuthrich: "It is a big job we are trying to tackle, sometimes it is out of crisis," Chris Wuthrich
2. Forum info: safety norming
-Nakata: negative vs. positive
-posters
-facebook?
3. October events
-Banquet, Can I kiss you?
-sexual assault theme
-speaker hours: flexible: possible training
-questions
4. Heidi Stanton
-last year's assaults
-resource center info
-rallies, safety measures
-quote on before state
5. Actual bill 5952 info
-pro: Appleton, Hurst
-con: Pearson
6. Closing
-UPS

update

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009902952_canadadui20m.html
Canada and the US have both been expanding their criminal database, and sharing it with each other. People are being turned away for DUIs, and The Victoria Clipper complained that it is causing them to lose business. In Canada DUI is a felony charge while in the US it is a gross misdemeanor. The story brings the question if the harsh laws are worth both the loss to tourism and if it is fair to continue to penalize a person for past mistakes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/us/21terror.html?_r=1&hpFederal authorities arrested two men in Colorado and another man in New York because they believe the men lied to authorities about their knowledge on about a terrorist bombing on an unknown US target. Evidence in the case includes pages of notes detailing manufacturing and handling explosives, found on one of the suspects computer.

story proposal

State senate bill 5952 modifies the description of "sexual orientation" in the harassment law. Originally it applied only to bi-sexual, homosexuality and heterosexuality. Now it also relates to gender identity and self image. Last year on campus there were problems with harassment directed at the gay community. I wanted to see how the passing of this bill affects campus procedure as well as Pullman laws. Have there been any changes in the charges? Any recent harassment complaints?

Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness* - 10/02/09 8:00 am
Full CommitteeHouse Hearing Rm EJohn L. O'Brien BuildingOlympia, WAREVISED 9/11/2009 2:09 PMWork Session:
Delayed sentencing for sentences under one year and the expansion of Alternative to Incarceration Programs.
Overview of search and rescue activities in Washington.
Overview of the Washington State Emergency Operations Center and the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) Closure EOC Funding Impacts.

http://www.leg.wa.gov/Legislature/_templates/CommitteeAgendas.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7bF5A101B0-3B27-48D5-A633-68A75F28371D%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fHouse%2fCommittees%2fPSEP%2fagendas%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest


Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness - 10/21/09 1:00 pm
Full CommitteeSenate Hearing Rm 3J.A. Cherberg BuildingOlympia, WAWork Session:
Modifying the Criminal Sentencing Reform Act Grid and broadening judicial discretion.
Guilty and Mentally Ill Offenses: Establishing a disposition for criminal defendants who are guilty and mentally ill.
http://www.leg.wa.gov/Legislature/_templates/CommitteeAgendas.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7bF5A101B0-3B27-48D5-A633-68A75F28371D%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fHouse%2fCommittees%2fPSEP%2fagendas%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest

Human Services - 10/02/09 10:00 am
Full CommitteeHouse Hearing Rm DJohn L. O'Brien BuildingOlympia, WAWork Session: Mentally Ill Offenders: Retrospective review and plans for progress in times of severe budgetary restraints.
http://www.leg.wa.gov/Legislature/_templates/CommitteeAgendas.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7b9A99FF22-7A75-46D6-B27D-73B03DBD869D%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fHouse%2fCommittees%2fHS%2fagendas%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest

updates

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009865083_webpierce14m.html
Assistant Chief Linda Pierce abruptly retired and instead has taken the position of public safety director for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. She leaves after 28 years of service. The article also mentions how there are now no women in the assistant chief or captain positions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/world/africa/15raid.html?_r=1&hp
American troops killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, an Islamic militant, in Africa on Monday. The man was wanted for his involvement in the attacks on two American embassies, the bombing of an Israeli hotel, and for being Al Qaeda ring leader.

speech story

Attendees at the Use of Force Police Forum, held by local law enforcement Tuesday in the CUB Lounge, witnessed a Taser demonstration and were informed about other less lethal options of force.
“The stuff that I teach is not designed to kill, that’s why I call it less lethal,” Senior Patrol Officer of the Pullman Police Department Scott Kirk said.
Officer Kirk is the Taser instructor and Defense Technology Instructor. The human nervous system communicates with simple electronic messages. The Taser uses neuro-muscular incapacitation, or NMI, to temporarily block the signal, Kirk said. It would be like two people talking on the telephone and I tapped into the same line and began screaming, he said. The Taser temporarily incapacitates the person. This allows for the officers to have control over the person’s actions for the moment. After the volts stop there is no pain or any other effects, Kirk said. However, if a person is Tasered they may fall and hurt themselves so officers have to be careful where they Tase people, he said.
“Tasers do not kill people,” Kirk said.
Brandon Wilson, a police intern and WSU student, volunteered to participate in the Taser demonstration. Held by a man on each arm, he was Tasered in front of the audience. Two probes were shot out of the Taser and hooked into the skin of his back. He tensed and was lowered to the ground.
“I was just frozen, I couldn’t do anything,” Wilson said.
After the display, Officer Kirk asked Wilson if he had any lingering effects and if he would rather be Tased again or be sprayed with OC spray, commonly known as pepper spray. Wilson replied that he had no lasting effects from the Taser but with OC spray it took him at least 40 minutes to recover.
Other options of less lethal materials include CS spray, specialty impact munitions, smoke and pyrotechnics. Due to less lethal options the police force has become a kinder, gentler force, Kirk said.
The Taser display ended Kirk’s description of less lethal materials and allowed onlookers to ask questions.
“I had no idea it [the Taser] pierces your skin,” Alli Rowe, a WSU student, said.
In response to a question Kirk explained that the Taser would not shock the people touching the victim. It sends shocks through the target only, and the best places are the large muscle groups, he said.
“I could Taser the keys and it wouldn’t affect the person holding them,” Kirk said.
WSU police officer Kelly Stewart opened the forum by providing background information on the use of force. He presented a power point slideshow and described the origins of the Use of Force Continuum.
The Use of Force Continuum is a visual representation which shows the amount of force needed for a particular reaction, Stewart said. The Supreme Court developed a new standard for police force after two influential cases in the 1980s, Stewart said.
The definition of necessary force is something that is drilled into officers since the police academy, he said.
“An officer’s presence can be a use of force,” WSU Chief of Police Bill Gardner said.
The continuum begins with a compliant individual and escalates to a life threatening situation. It is structured in a way so that a certain action equals a specific reaction of an officer, Stewart said. However, the Continuum cannot account for all scenarios, like the role of physical size, he said.
Stewart also detailed the level of force used with specific actions. An officer may use a Taser in level one, he said.
The forum was held in an attempt to educate the public on the use of force for both the Pullman police force as well as the WSU police department. Prior to attending the event, WSU sophomore Andrew Stevens didn’t really have any knowledge on the topic, he said. Afterwards, seeing someone get Tasered had the most impact on him and he found it interesting that Tasering was a level one response, he said.
Alli Rowe also left the forum with a higher understanding of the police force, she said. She was expecting to disagree with their actions, she said.
“I have a stronger sense of legitimacy for the police officers actions,” Rowe said.

Sources:
- Alli Rowe (206) 310- 8241
-Andrew Stevens (425) 273-6504
-Officer Kelly Stewart kdstewart@wsu.edu
-Brandon Wilson banw83@msn.com
- Officer Scott Kirk 509-332-0802
-WSU Chief of Police Bill Gardner 509-335-8548
Questions:
-What is the most common less lethal force option used?
-Are there any specific defense techniques that officers have to know?
-What are the most common situations that Pullman officers find themselves in while dealing with WSU students?
Background: Many of the audience members did not know what to expect. For example Andrew Stevens had no previous conceptions of the issue, he said. I also did not know what to expect from the discussion. I assumed that the police officers used force when someone presented a threat. However, with the slide show I now understand the history of the guidelines on force. The supreme court after the 1980s defined the commonly used definitions.

Legislative Exercises

1. HB 1248 - 2009-10 Evaluating the need for a digital forensic crime lab.
2. Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness - 10/21/09 1:00 pm
3. Hurst, Christopher
4. Yvonne Walker, Research Analyst
5. Don Cox (R)Joe Schmick (R)
6. Committees:Agriculture & Rural Economic Development(Ranking Minority Member)Financial Institutions Housing & InsuranceRulesWays & Means
(a) SB 5076 Creating the Washington grain commission.
7. (360) 786-7844
8. http://www.tvw.org/search/siteSearch.cfm?keywords=House%20Public&bhcp=1
9.Ways & Means - 10/01/09 1:30 pm
10.
11. Mar 25 Senate Rules "X" file.
(a) Senators Jarrett, Kohl-Welles
(b) 5,257
12.
13.

Flu

Washington State University President Elson S. Floyd praised health and wellness center workers for both their preparation and execution in dealing with swine flu cases.

"The campus clinic has been open additional days in response to student demand, and our health-care providers have put in extra hours dispensing compassionate care and sound medical advice in equal measure," Floyd said.

pdc assignment

1. Susan Fagan, Glen Stockwell, Patricia Hailey, Darin Watkins, Arthur Swannack
2. $142,483.00 (raised) $109,439.05 (spent).
3. 10,779.33 and 51,147.08
4.
5.

speech practice

Standing before the Lincoln Memorial, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to 200,000 supporters on justice and equality for all people regardless of skin color.

"We refuse to believe the bank of justice is bankrupt," King said.

King addressed the inability of the current government to uphold both the promises of democracy and the Emancipation Proclamation. He expresses his dreams of brother and sisterhood, where one day people will be able to join together without the constraints of segregation. A hundred years later and people of color are still bound by injustice, he said.

"Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy," he said.

Throughout his speech, King calls for equality and understanding. Instead of expressing hate and judgment based on skin color, judge on the quality of character, he said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009818847_idtheft07m.html
A Seattle woman caught her own identity theif. After the woman had racked up thousands of dollars in debt she came into the victim's line at JCpenny. This article describes how a number of identity theifs have been caught and describes the heroic actions of the victim Michelle McCambridge. The police stated that what was different about these cases were the ability of the victims to be proactive about their situation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/world/europe/08britain.html?hp
Three men were found guilty of attempting to bomb at least seven trans-Atlantic airlines. This was the largest counterterrorism in British history.

For my beat I, like many other students in this course, chose to focus on crime. However, instead of focusing solely on crime around the Pullman area I decided to also add another valuable aspect. Safety is something that is often overlooked when it comes to crime. The majority of people are simply interested on what happened. By adding safety to my beat I am able to discuss prevention and increase the information people receive. Therefore, I am able to put a more personal spin on a classic topic.

I decided to make crime and safety my beat because I thought the two fit very well together. In stories on crime, the events are merely explained. I feel that this leaves out a lot of the surrounding details. When reading these stories I always wondered what more could have been done. This beat will explore two sides of the same issue. It is about prevention as well as current events.

My beat is not going to be an advice column. Instead of advising people on how to protect themselves, I will be informing them on what is being done to protect them in their community. This involves following recent news and looking into programs that are offered in the area.

The experts for my beat are people who are actively part of the community and who hold inside information on recent happenings. For the crime portion, the Pullman police department is probably the most reliable source. They would have the correct and most accurate information because they are specifically trained to deal with crime. This includes not only the actual police officers but the police interns as well. In addition to the Pullman police department, groups specifically oriented towards safety precautions would have valuable information for my beat. On campus organizations like Women’s Transit and Safe Walk are examples. A more obscure expert could be someone who teaches a self defense class.

Recently, this beat has been a particular focus in the Pullman area. With recent assaults, both local and state publications have attempted to report on the crimes. Historically crime stories have sold numerous papers. Immediately entering the communication world, students learn that a few specific things draw readers in. One of them happens to be conflict. In crime stories, conflict has a major role in the events.

Pullman is a smaller community with the focal point being the university. Locally, the most important issues concern direct happenings. Lately this involves the assaults, economic issues, and the swine flu scare. My beat being crime and safety will interest the people of Pullman because it directly affects them. Unlike crime stories from the city, Pullman’s crime is happening within a smaller range. These stories are occurring closely within this small community. It is something that people will not only find interesting but also be educational.

3 possible sources:

Heather Prigger
Pullman Police Intern
Hprigger@wsu.edu

(360) 620- 6257

Joshua Hart
Safe Walk

Joshua.hart@email.wsu.edu

(509) 335-Walk

Alexa Nemeth
Student Legal Services

Alexa.nemeth@email.wsu.edu

3 story ideas:

An article concerning the Legal Aid services WSU provides for students. What are the most common circumstances involving students who seek legal counsel? What is the cost? Why have this option at all? Basically just the merit of offering students these kind of services.

Story involving the development of Safe Walk. Why does the student body need this type of service. Is it because of the recent assaults or just to provide a safer atmosphere for students. Is there a reason it operates only on the weekends? Also is this service available for both male and female students?

Although there recently was an article published about Women’s Transit in the Daily Evergreen, I’d like to do a more in depth story about this service. When the assaults on campus first became common knowledge I knew several female students who called for rides only to realize the service was unavailable. I wanted to write an article about why it does not immediately begin operating when the school year starts. Also I’d like to examine the rules for transportation.

3 recent articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/us/02offenders.html?_r=1&hp

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009765519_apuspowerwindows.html

http://www.dailyevergreen.com/story/29185

http://www.dailyevergreen.com/story/29204
This story from the Daily Evergreen actually relates to my first story idea. It talks about how Women's Transit is opening earlier due to the recent assaults on campus. It is really short but points out information about Women's Transit for any female student who is interested in the service.

http://www.nytimes.com/
In California the predicted cooler temperatures may help firefighters to combat the intense wildfires. In regards to my beat it references the amount of damage to the land and surrounding buildings.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009782448_daycare01m.html