In Salem a lack of respect is felt on both sides of this age-old conflict. The "street" kids know they're no angels, but would still like to be treated with a little dignity. The police must uphold the set of laws that they are given, but would appreciate being treated with some respect as well.

Kids vs. Cops

When Little Dog thinks of the police, he doesn't mince words.

In 2007, he said a Salem Police officer assaulted him after he broke into a car, but not before the crowbar Little Dog used for his crime was used against his left knee. He said
he wasn't arrested that day, but left limping for months, virtually useless for his "family" of other homeless teenagers who grouped together for safety and survival.

"I'm just out here trying to survive," he said. "It's like they don't know they have rules they have to follow."

Little Dog's allegations are echoed throughout the homeless community, particularly among homeless teenagers. Police said the accusations are false and believe the problem isn't the officers, but people who don't want to obey the laws making these allegations to justify their behavior.
 
Many of the teens' complaints are centered on the Downtown Enforcement Team whose job is to patrol the Downtown Crime Prevention District primarily on bike and on foot. Cottage, Trade and Union Street and the Willamette River border this district.

Salem Monthly spoke to one family of homeless youth whose real names were changed for this story. What happened to Little Dog is not unique to this group, they said. They said members of the Salem Police Department have systematically abused the teenagers.

Between the group of five street kids ages 15 to 19, they said they have been hit, kicked, tasered more than 20 times, verbally abused, arrested for trespass and loitering, thefts and other assorted charges. While they didn't try to justify their behavior they said the physical and verbal abuse has got to stop.

Cops vs. Kids

Enforcement of downtown rules and laws fall primarily on the shoulders of the Downtown Enforcement Team, a special unit of the Salem Police Department. Sergeant Mike Johnson is the team leader and emphatically denied these alleged abuses are taking place.

"Every use of force is documented by not only a written report but a use of force report," he said. "These go up the chain of command and [are] reviewed by our use of force committee. Any firing of any Taser is recorded on the Taser itself and a special use of force report is done on that.

"A lot of the youth we deal with on a habitual basis down here don't like our presence because we deter them from activities they in the past have been able to do without any enforcement," he said.

"I've been told by some of these folks that we are targeting them because of their age. I assure you the only thing we are targeting is their behavior ... and we have a zero tolerance policy downtown."

Since January, there have been 708 arrests by Johnson's team. Of those, approximately 185 arrests were on those 21 and under. Additionally, he said Tasers had been used less than 15 times since January.

With a boyish face and clean cut look, 19-year-old Toothpick looks like he is as likely to go home to play video games rather than camping at a Salem area park. He has been on the streets since May and spends much of his time at HOME, a drop-in youth resources center on Union Street.

Just three credits shy of a high school diploma, he left after confrontations with his mother made life unbearable, he said. His goal is to finish his diploma and get off the streets, but right now he said it is impossible because of his arrests.

He said he's been arrested several times for "flying signs," street lingo for panhandling on a street corner, and for theft of food and hygiene items at a Roth's store.
He said police handcuffed, searched and exposed him in public view after he was arrested at Roth's.

"It's them thinking they're better than us because they have a badge and a gun, Toothpick said. "I know what I did was wrong. I'm not going to resist so at least give me my dignity."

Salem Police are educated to handle most conflicts through ongoing training.  There is no specific training in confrontations with homeless or runaway teenagers, Johnson said.

"Do we get a particular class in how to deal with unruly youth?" he said. "No, not in particular. It's incorporated throughout all of our training. You become accustomed to certain things when you work an area of town. I believe my team does a really good job of communicating with most of our habitual offenders."

Truth and Consequences

People arrested in the Downtown Crime Prevention District for most crimes will be excluded from downtown for up to 90 days.

Little Joker, a 19-year-old member of the family said he has lost several jobs because he can't get on busses in the North Block and can't work in the downtown core. He said he has been arrested several times for trespass after being excluded from downtown.

"Sometimes I've got to get from downtown to Lancaster and then from one end of Lancaster to the other, and then back to camp," Little Joker said. "This is the only way I can get around unless they want me to walk everywhere. That ain't gonna happen."

According to Johnson, some of the crimes that result in downtown expulsion include drinking in public, fighting, trespass and harassment. Shoplifting and theft are not included on the list of excludable crimes, something that was overlooked and is currently being revised.

Exemptions to the exclusions can be granted and a worksheet is given to those excluded to tell them how. Appeals can be filed to get too and from work, religious sites, attorneys court appearances or to schools along with other exceptions.

According to police records there are currently around 250 downtown exclusions in effect. Johnson said many of these have been granted exceptions although exact figures were not available because they change frequently.

Solutions to the problem remain circular between the police and the teens. Johnson said any and all abuses by police can and should be reported immediately and that all reports will be followed up on.

The teens said they won't file reports because they fear retaliation or that nothing will be done.

There's no place like HOME

Sitting squarely between the police and many street teens is HOME director Peggy Kahon. Daily she listens to the teens and their problems, and also the police.
"This is not a new problem," she said. "This has been going on for many many years."

She said part of the problem is the group mentality of teenagers.

"It's the nature of kids to want to group and this (police breaking up groups) counters their natural tendencies."

When it comes to whether the teens are telling the truth about abuses, Kahon said she believes there is disrespect on both sides.

"I think that it probably happens," she said about police abuse. "I'm sure it happens. Is it a pattern? Probably not. It doesn't take much for one side to feel disrespected.

"It's not saying either side is right or wrong," she added. "It's a systemic problem that is happening across Salem."
In the last year, she said she has seen efforts by the police to interact with the teens at HOME and said it has made a difference in the trust relationships between many of the teens she sees and police.

"This is the kind of interaction that helps both sides," she said. "It's a neutral setting."

While internally he harbors a lot of anger, Little Joker said relationships between homeless teens and police can improve.
"If they do things nicer and the way they are supposed to then we wouldn't have these problems," he said. "We would clear out. We don't need a bunch of cops acting like thugs. We just want respect and in return we'll give respect."

There is one simple way to improve relationships between teens and adults in the downtown core and police, Johnson said. Follow the rules.

"Some that like to hang out downtown and not play by the rules, which the city has set forth ... through city revised codes and lawful statutes, they're going to get arrested for that," he said. "We do a lot of warnings too, but we are going to target behavior. We do it professionally and politely but we do target those behaviors."
 
But Kahan points out that research shows that teens can't always control their behavior the way adults expect them to.

"They've found that the parts of a teen's brain that make them pay attention to peer pressure and to act emotionally are mostly developed but the parts relating to controlling impulses, resisting peer pressure or thinking long-term about consequences are still being developed into their 20's.  They literally don't think like adults."

As part of their grant work, HOME is collaborating with the Salem Police Department to assist youth and families to connect with services.  

"Our Outreach Workers are spending time wherever homeless teens congregate, including downtown and the Transit Mall, and are becoming helpful mediators between businesses and youth."