HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 08 Correspondence from Hanna Budan, Springfield, OR Regarding Springfield Police Handling Neighborhood Concerns.Hanna
Budan
3384
Watermark
Drive
Springfield,
OR
97477
503-‐537-‐4114
hbudan@me.com
August
17,
2015
Springfield
City
Council
225
5th
Street
Springfield,
OR
97477
CC:
Mayor
Cynthia
Lundberg
City
Councillors,
My
name
is
Hanna
Budan
and
I
have
lived
in
Springfield
for
about
2
and
a
half
years
with
my
partner
and
his
daughter
near
Yolanda
Elementary
School.
I
am
wriUng
this
leVer
to
the
city
council
to
alert
the
city
leaders
to
the
issues
I
have
been
experiencing
concerning
the
Springfield
Police
Department's
lack
in
taking
appropriate
acUon
and
and
fears
for
the
safety
of
my
residence
and
my
family
in
regards
to
a
dispute
with
a
potenUally
violent
neighbor.
Instead
of
receiving
the
support
I
anUcipated
from
the
SPD
in
handling
the
situaUon,
I
found
my
own
residence
to
be
the
target
of
unnecessary
policing
and
my
neighbor
has
used
personal
connecUons
within
the
police
department
to
avoid
penalty
for
their
acUons
as
well
as
has
used
the
police
department
as
a
tool
of
harassment
against
me.
The
challenges
that
I
have
experienced
with
the
SPD
arose
2
years
ago
when
I
called
911
in
response
to
a
personal
assault
of
my
partner
in
our
driveway
by
my
neighbor,
who
claims
personal
Ues
with
the
police
department
and
who
was
on
their
cell
phone
with
police
officer
Massey
during
the
assault.
The
police
arrived
and
did
not
address
the
situaUon
other
than
to
threaten
an
arrest
if
they
were
called
out
again.
Over
the
next
2
years,
the
offensive
neighbor
has
manipulated
the
police
with
false
reports
in
an
aVempt
to
threaten
and
inUmidate
my
family
and
I.
Many
Umes,
the
neighbor
has
alluded
to
personal
connecUons
with
the
SPD,
and
being
“untouchable”
or
above
the
law
and
the
neighbor
has
threatened
to
call
the
police
and
make
false
accusaUons
against
us.
Through
the
interacUons
I
have
had
with
SPD
in
response
to
concerns
with
the
neighbors
behavior,
I
have
developed
the
percepUon
that
favoriUsm
has
been
shown
toward
the
neighbor
and
that
my
safety
concerns
have
not
been
dealt
with
seriously.
I
have
requested
copies
of
the
police
reports
that
have
been
filed,
and
a`er
comparing
police
tesUmony
of
events
to
my
observaUons
and
video
recorded
evidence,
I
feel
there
is
missing
and
subjecUve
informaUon
included
in
some
of
the
reports.
I
have
indeed
received
several
police
visits
at
my
home
due
to
false
complaints
being
raised
by
said
neighbor.
I
feel
there
has
been
an
unnecessary,
unreasonable
amount
of
contact
at
my
residence,
including
various
allegaUons
of
domesUc
abuse,
child
abuse,
drug
dealing,
illegal
marijuana
growing,
illegal
plumbing
installaUons,
and
so
forth.
In
no
case
have
these
allegaUons
ever
been
founded.
Regardless,
these
encounters
with
certain
SPD
individuals
have
been
very
negaUve,
and
include
psychological
abuse,
verbal
and
physical
inUmidaUon,
and
physical
shoving.
I
have
sought
resoluUon
with
offensive
neighbor
through
aVempted
mediaUon
efforts
and
also
by
just
ignoring
them,
but
they
conUnue
to
act
in
a
threatening
manner
to
this
day
and
I
have
fears
for
the
safety
of
myself
and
for
my
family,
my
pets,
my
house,
my
car,
my
garden,
etc.
At
this
Ume
I
do
not
feel
that
I
can
rely
on
the
SPD
to
be
objecUve
in
their
response
to
concerns
I
have
raised
and
I
am
very
apprehensive
about
contacUng
the
SPD
for
protecUon.
It
has
reached
the
point
where
contacUng
the
police
for
assistance
has
become
an
invitaUon
for
trouble.
A`er
the
first
incident
of
the
driveway
assault
in
2013,
I
wrote
a
leVer
to
the
SPD
and
I
had
a
private
meeUng
with
Captain
Harrison
at
the
SPD
to
address
the
concerns
I
had
about
how
the
police
handled
the
situaUon.
However,
further
encounters
with
police
at
my
residence
brought
addiUonal
concerns
of
privacy
rights
and
inUmidaUon,
in
parUcular
concerning
SPD
Officer
Burke,
and
I
met
with
Jeff
Towry
at
the
City
Managers
Office
to
discuss
mediaUng
the
relaUonship
with
both
SPD
and
the
neighbor
who
has
been
harassing
me
through
these
police
complaints.
Although
these
officials
had
pledged
to
address
the
situaUon
with
documentaUon
and
internal
training,
the
incidents
have
conUnued.
On
one
occasion,
not
long
a`er
this,
SPD
Sergeant
Rick
Lewis
came
to
my
residence
on
a
call
and
warned
my
boyfriend
to
pass
along
the
message
that
my
feedback
leVer
that
outlined
my
sincere
concerns
was
inaccurate
and
that
I
had
beVer
not
do
it
again.
This
was
very
inUmidaUng.
The
stressful
circumstances
of
this
situaUon
have
led
me
to
consider
selling
my
home
and
moving
from
Springfield,
to
a
safer
neighborhood
with
more
objecUve
and
effecUve
responses
from
the
the
police
department.
I
do
not
feel
comfortable
contacUng
the
Springfield
Police
Department
for
assistance,
nor
do
I
feel
comfortable
living
next
to
a
neighbor
who
has
threatened
me
and
conUnues
to
act
out
of
control.
I
also
do
not
wish
my
address
to
be
labeled
as
a
“problem
house”
which
the
SPD
has
also
threatened
to
do
by
referencing
the
City's
Chronic
Disorderly
Property
code.
I
have
documentaUon
of
many
of
these
incidents
with
both
the
harassing
neighbor
and
the
police
responses
available
for
review,
as
well
as
documentaUon
indicaUng
the
alleged
personal
connecUon
between
the
neighbor
and
individuals
acUvely
employed
by
the
SPD.
I
am
not
only
seeking
a
resoluUon
to
my
personal
situaUon
with
the
SPD,
but
am
also
wriUng
to
advocate
for
more
resources
dedicated
to
strengthening
the
relaUonships
between
our
police
department
and
our
community.
My
request
is
that
the
city
perform
due
diligence
to
look
into
my
complaints
with
sincerity
when
conducUng
reviews
of
the
SPD
and
of
the
city's
role
in
the
harassment
I
have
been
experiencing
for
2
years.
I
think
the
Springfield
Police
Department
could
really
benefit
from
beVer
training
for
community
relaUonships
as
well
as
dealing
with
those
who
suffer
from
PTSD
and
other
mental
illness.
I
menUon
this
in
parUcular
because
the
police
have
specifically
beliVled
my
partner’s
mental
health
condiUons
and
medical
needs,
and
these
types
of
encounters
have
merely
compounded
the
trauma
created
by
the
neighbor’s
abuse.
Please
let
me
know
if
you
would
like
any
more
informaUon,
documentaUon
or
details
regarding
this
difficult
situaUon
and
the
history
of
misconduct
and
mistreatment
that
has
been
observed.
I
have
been
advised
to
retain
legal
counsel
on
this
maVer.
Sincerely,
Hanna
Budan