Activist to target 'perceived' police civil rights abuses

A Modesto civil rights activist is organizing a march in Ceres Saturday to protest what he calls a "perceived misconduct by the Ceres Police Department."

Robert Stanford is also calling for a "demand for greater appreciation and understanding by local law enforcement of Latino culture."

Stanford joins some Hispanics in criticizing the Ceres Police Department for its aggressive crackdown on gang members in Ceres, saying officers are profiling Latinos and taking unnecessary force.

"This is no police state," said Stanford. "This is not Nazi Germany. We're against police drawing heavy artillery on Latino children and...pulling them over because they meet one or two of the criteria."

Ceres Police Chief Art de Werk said he's troubled that Stanford would conduct a march "based on perceptions and not not as facts or reality."

"Somebody who is marching on perception might offend the better sense of the majority of citizens who resent gang problems here in the first place and who and have supported police in getting rid of gangs permanently," said de Werk.

The march comes months after de Werk's department made overtures to reach out to the Hispanic community. He has consistently explained that his department cannot afford to take a laid-back approach to gangs following the Jan. 9 shooting of two of his officers by a gang member. Since 85 percent of local gangs are comprised of Latino members, de Werk said, his agency predominantly has dealt with Hispanic community members. He has said officers have not violated civil rights and that officers only approach subjects based on probable cause.

Stanford said the march is being conducted by Citizens for a Unified Community Coalition. He will be supplying cardboard and markers for persons to make signs to carry as they leave Smyrna Park at 11 a.m. Stanford said the march will proceed into downtown Ceres and then reconvene for a public comment period upon return to Smyrna Park.

"Our goal is to allow the public to feel like they're being heard," said Stanford.

De Werk said he has personally "met with hundreds of people since Jan. 9...and most of them are Latino people and I heard them clearly." In those discussions, the chief advised parents to scrutinize any of their children's claims that they were unjustly harrassed by officers. He advised parents to "be realistic to see if their kids are doing anything to warrant these traffic stops."

City officials have conducted two town hall meetings to allow the community to voice concerns about gangs and police actions and held a number of gatherings to brainstorm community solutions. Stanford was among those who walked out of the first town hall meeting held days after the shooting, objecting to the format in which audience questions were written down on cards and selected for reading.

"We didn't feel like we would be allowed to speak," said Stanford.

Stanford also attended the poorly attended town hall meeting on March 2 which he admitted was more open than the first.

Ceres Police initiated an aggressive operation to arrest gang members a year ago after someone sprayed approximately 20 rounds into crowded Smyrna Park from a car. The shooting occurred at approximately the same time that gang members began causing problems at the weekend Ceres Flea Market. Stanford and his organization, localblack.com, were critical of a police presence at the flea market last year.

The first wave of gang sweeps took place as a number of area residents were being killed in random gang-related shootings. A drive-by shooting at the Casa Grande Apartments in Ceres a left one man paralyzed from the neck down.

The police crackdown intensified after two Ceres officers were shot Jan. 9 by Andres Raya, an AWOL Marine who was a member of the Norteno gang. De Werk began arming his officers with assault rifles to match the fire capabilities of some gang members. Sgt. Howard Stevenson was killed and Officer Sam Ryno was seriously wounded by Raya who was illegally in possession of a modified assault rifle.

Stanford, who himself is white, said as a paid civil rights activist he occassionally "patrols the streets" and keeps an eye on police in nearby cities, sometimes through binoculars. He said he believes police are harassing Hispanics.

He helped organize last year's Modesto march against police who shot and killed Sammy Galvon, a 19-year-old Hispanic during a domestic disturbance. Modesto Police said Galvon was armed with a knife and provoked the attack.

"We're not trying to incite a riot. We're not buying Chief de Werk's line that what is going on is necessary."

De Werk said his efforts to educate the Latino population in Ceres is leading to the formation of a Hispanic Citizen's Academy, sponsored by Ceres Police and the Sheriff's Office. The event will be held every Tuesday starting April 5 for eight weeks at Caswell School starts April 5. - By JEFF BENZIGER / Editor of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier

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