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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Medford schools superintendent gets high marks Since You Asked: School zone speed limit always 20 mph Emergency Services, March 3 St. Mary's robotics team qualifies for state competition Ninth Street crash in Grants Pass claims life of 19-year-old woman Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, March 3 California homicide leads to arrest in Talent Fire torches trailer of hay off Crater Lake Avenue Volunteers help police nab three graffiti suspects in a week Emergency services, March 2 Politics and Elections Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Education Medford schools superintendent gets high marks St. Mary's robotics team qualifies for state competition LIFEArt plans to open gallery in Medford MSD considers adding a health center at one of the city's high schools Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Environment The new normal under climate change? 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Mangino: Bite-mark analysis — science or charlatanry Letters to the Editor, March 2 Editorials Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Our View: Higher education still getting too little Our View: Adjusting for unintended consequences Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 3 Letters to the Editor, March 2 Letters to the Editor, March 1 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Columns Michael Gerson: Scott Walker's cynical comments on faith Kent Bush: Minnie Minoso was famous for the right reasons Dana Milbank: Jeb Bush, CPAC pinata Charles Krauthammer: The fatal flaw in the Iran deal GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinions GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Lifestyle Latest stories Dr. Elaine Heffner: How much freedom should we allow kids? 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Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Community blog: Finding Your Indomitable Spirit to Defeat Addiction Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Theater 'Guys and Dolls' a sure bet for dazzling entertainment 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' Review: OSF elevates the neglected 'Pericles' Review: In "Much Ado," why not let Shakespeare be Shakespeare? Music Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Get Up & Go: Tuesday, March 3 ... Ninth Street crash in Grants Pass claims life of 19-year-old woman ... Ashland cell tower hearing postponed ... Get Up & Go: Tuesday, March 3 ... Ninth Street crash in Grants Pass claims life of 19-year-old woman ... Ashland cell tower hearing postponed ... GUEST OPINION GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Comment By Ricardo Lujan and Erica Franks MailTribune.com By Ricardo Lujan and Erica Franks Posted Mar. 1, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Ricardo Lujan and Erica Franks Posted Mar. 1, 2015 at 12:01 AM What do you think? --> Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter or email ... » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter or email [email protected] . » Social News Every day in Southern Oregon, hundreds of law enforcement personnel go to work, dedicated to doing a professional job of protecting public safety. And every day in Southern Oregon, many of the people they are supposed to protect are fearfully hoping to avoid contact with those officers — not because those people have done anything wrong, but because they are afraid of profiling based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other factors. Many other cities and counties across America are experiencing intense tension between law enforcement and communities. That makes it hard for law enforcement officials to get the information they need to do an effective job, while leaving many adults and children as worried about encounters with police as they are about encounters with criminals. Instead of waiting for a crisis, we in Southern Oregon can work together now, as partners, to strengthen trust, prevent profiling and protect public safety for all. Neither the state nor local cities or counties keep or publish a lot of statistics about profiling. But here are a few facts that suggest the dimensions of the problem. While African Americans and whites in America use marijuana at approximately the same rate, nearly four times more African Americans are arrested for possession, according to a report by The Sentencing Project. African Americans in Oregon are 70 percent more likely than other residents to be stopped at least once per year, according to an Urban League study. Nearly one in three LGBT people and people living with HIV under the age of 30 reports hostile treatment in their most recent encounters with police, according to a national survey by Lambda Legal, a public interest law center. A year and a half after an 18-year-old Latino armed only with knife was shot and killed by Medford police in 2012, Oregon Health and Science University conducted a survey asking Latinos in the city about the relationship between their community and the police department. Thirty-seven percent said the relationship is “not at all” positive, 48 percent said it is only “somewhat positive,” while 8 percent said it is "very positive." Profiling is not confined to encounters with police on the street. Groups profiled by race, ethnicity or other factors receive harsher treatment, on average, than their counterparts at every step of the criminal justice process, including arrests, choice of charges, pretrial release and bail, sentencing and supervision of probation. Does this mean that most law enforcement officers, district attorneys, judges and other criminal justice officials are consciously discriminating? No, although undoubtedly some are. It means that bias toward people of color, LGBT people, Muslims, and other groups in our society has existed for a long time and can’t be controlled simply by declaring good intentions. Prevention of profiling requires intensive training, hiring of a diverse workforce, two-way communication with the community, and other measures. Community groups in the Rogue Valley stand ready to work with local officials to help make progress on solutions like those. We also invite local criminal justice officials and all local residents to join a broad coalition of community groups in supporting a package of three proposed bills now before the state Legislature. These bills, HB 2001, 2002, and 2003, start with the basics. They would establish a statewide definition of profiling — that it is, using someone’s race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, national origin, language, housing status, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity as a basis to stop, question or search them. The legislation would require law enforcement to keep records when they stop someone who meets one of those definitions. That data would then be compiled by the state, which could investigate if a pattern of profiling may be taking place without being corrected locally. The initial coalition supporting these proposals includes Oregon Action, United Church of Christ, Basic Rights Oregon, Causa, Asian Pacific Network of Oregon (APANO), the Oregon AFL-CIO, and the Center for Intercultural Organizing. A recent letter to the editor declared that the writer was pro-police and implied that anyone who wants a fairer, more effective criminal justice system must be anti-police. The community groups that want to address profiling are pro-police too. We want safety for our neighborhoods and households. We honor the courage it takes to work in law enforcement. And we believe that passage of the proposed legislation — HB 2001, 2002, and 2003 — will benefit both law enforcement and local communities by helping to prevent profiling and ensuring that our criminal justice system is effective and fair to all. Ricardo Lujan is a board member of Oregon Action. Erica Franks is a member of the Black Student Union at Southern Oregon University. By Ricardo Lujan and Erica Franks MailTribune.com By Ricardo Lujan and Erica Franks Posted Mar. 1, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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