Archive for the ‘Erie’ Category
Posted by Christopher Coen on October 3, 2011
A series of robberies, physical assaults and even a BB gun shooting have recently created fear among Bhutanese refugees resettled to Erie, Pennsylvania. Joel Tuzynski, the executive director of the Multicultural Community Resource Center has written an opinion piece in the Erie Times-News about the issue.
…Erie has been fortunate to be the new home to several hundred new arrivals of the Bhutanese Nepali community…
…Their transition from an Eastern tradition into Erie has become a very difficult journey because some of the “criminals in our midst” have seen these people as “easy marks.”
There have been a series of robberies, physical assaults and even a BB gun shooting, that have recently created fear and wondering among the Nepali regarding their new home.
These attacks upon young Nepali men and women, who are naive to the ways of the modern world, trusting of others, and non-violent by choice, are verging upon what we fear is becoming “ethnic intimidation” at this point.
Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott and Erie Police Chief Steve Franklin are trying to work with the Nepali community about reporting and solving these crimes.
…when a young man is robbed in broad daylight outside of our MCRC [Multicultural Community Resource Center] — a program that exists to welcome and assist them — it is time to call the public’s attention to this situation, which has reoccurred too often.
The physical assaults, robberies and intimidation, must stop, as it is a violation of basic civil rights guaranteed to all people under our Constitution.
We call upon our neighborhood watches, the police SWAT teams, local, state and federal officials and other concerned citizens to help us stop this targeted, criminal, uncivilized, mean-spirited, ill treatment of our newest neighbors, the Nepali community… Read more here
This case gets back to the issue of using refugees to boost the number of inhabitants of US cities with declining populations. Erie’s population was 138,440 in 1960, which declined to 101,786 in 2010. Is it ethical to use these people — as part of a humanitarian program — to boost declining population levels, when many of these places are also particularly unsafe for refugees during their vulnerable time of transition?
Posted in Catholic Charities, dangerous neighborhoods, Erie, Hindu, International Institute of Erie, intimidation of refugees, Nepali Bhutanese, police, population levels, using refugees as pawns to boost, safety | Tagged: BB gun, bhutanese, catholic charities, erie, ethnic intimidation, International Institute of Erie, Joel Tuzynski, MCRC, mugging, Multicultural Community Resource Center, nepalese, Nepali, physical assaults, police, refugees, resettlement, robberies | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Christopher Coen on June 21, 2010
In the latest monitoring report from the State Department evaluating the USCRI’s International Institute of Erie, the State Department rated the agency as being in “partial compliance” with their refugee services contract (here). They rated housing and furnishings provided to refugees by the International Institute of Erie as “not in compliance” with R&P (resettlement & placement) requirements, and refugee employment, at 41%, was below established targets (75%).
The International Institute of Erie made it into the newspaper in recent months with a report that a Burmese refugee family was left at the airport overnight and had to sleep on the floor, here and here. We inquired with the director of the Institute, John Flanagan, to find out why the refugees were left there, but he never responded.
The State Department report, the product of a second State Department inspection in eight years (unusual), found that of four refugee families visited, three reported that the Institute had delivered some required furnishings and done some repairs the DAY BEFORE the monitors’ visit. The housing and furnishings were also generally below minimum standards. The monitors suggested that the Institute’s director Mr. Flanagan, visit the homes of the Burundian, Iraqi, and Burmese refugee families (gee, what a novel idea).
According to the report:
In the apartment of the Burundian family, monitors observed water leaking through electrical wiring, evidence of rodent and insect infestation, and several broken chairs. The oven did not work and the rear entrance to the apartment had been boarded up. Furniture was arranged in one bedroom in a way that would make exit difficult in an emergency. The family reported that affiliate staff delivered a sofa and alarm clock and repaired a moldy, leaking bathroom ceiling the day before the monitors’ visit. Monitors asked that alternative housing be found immediately for the family.
The Iraqi family informed monitors that they were extremely uncomfortable in their home and were often afraid to leave the apartment because they feel the neighborhood is unsafe. They described an instance where a woman screamed all night in the street outside their apartment, and said they have witnessed drug dealers fighting and frequent police activity in the neighborhood. They complained that the house is dirty and infested with insects, the bathroom did not work for two weeks after their arrival; and the lock on the door to the basement is broken. Clothing storage had been provide by [the International Institute of Erie] the day before the monitors’ visit. Monitors observed garbage stored in the hallway outside the family’s kitchen, and moldy carpet in the bathroom. There was no working smoke detector in the apartment. …the husband said he was relying on Iraqi friends to help him find work because International Institute of Erie staff had told him there was no work available.
…Monitors asked that the affiliate assist the Iraqi [family] to find new housing.
Read more. It doesn’t get much better.
Posted in Burma/Myanmar, Burundian, employment services, Erie, furnishings, lack of, household items, missing or broken, housing, substandard, International Institute of Erie, Iraqi, meeting refugees at the airport, neglect, Nepali Bhutanese, Pennsylvania, R&P, State Department, USCRI | Tagged: erie, International Institute of Erie, John flanagan, monitor, monitoring, monitors, PA, Pennsylvania, R&P, refugee, refugees, resettlement, State Department, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, USCRI | 2 Comments »
Posted by Christopher Coen on May 12, 2010
The Erie Bureau of Police have put out a brochure written by the U.S. Department of Justice that explains the process of a traffic stop (here).
“In a lot of cases, the first and only contact citizens have with the police department is a traffic stop,” Erie Bureau of Police Chief Steve Franklin said. “And in some ways, that makes it dangerous. Anything can happen.”
To reduce the risk, the bureau has printed 1,000 copies of a new how-to: a brochure that explains the process of a traffic stop.
Much of it is obvious:
- If stopped by an officer, do not try to exit your vehicle.
- Keep your hands in plain view.
- Turn on your hazards and interior lights.
- Do not be surprised if a second patrol car arrives. That’s often a matter of routine.
…[Franklin] also plans to meet with the agencies that guide Erie’s refugee populations. Those groups often have much different expectations of police, said Joe Haas, the executive director of Catholic Charities Counseling and Adoption Services.
“Some of them come from countries where law enforcement was a source of brutality,” Haas said. “They don’t always understand that the police are a source of good in the United States.”
A U.S. Dept. of Justice mediator suggested the brochure after being called in to mediate the outcry from the community when the community caught Erie police laughing about the murder of a local resident.
The content may be straightforward, but the development of the brochure was anything but: It started, indirectly, with the 2009 death of Rondale Jennings Sr.
Jennings, 31, was shot during an argument outside a bar. A few weeks later, one of the police officers who responded to that 911 call was in another bar, joking about Jennings’ death throes.
The officer — James Cousins II — was suspended after his comments were posted online, in a video on YouTube.
Posted in Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Erie, Dept. of Justice, Erie, Pennsylvania, police, safety | Tagged: Archdiocese of Erie, brochure, catholic charities, mediator, Pennsylvania, police, police brutality, refugee, refugees, traffic stop, U.S. Department of Justice, USCCB | 2 Comments »
Posted by Christopher Coen on March 9, 2010
On February 20th we reported about an International Institute of Erie Burmese refugee family that was left stranded at the airport in Erie (here).
The International Institute of Erie’s director then commented that it wasn’t his agency’s fault, and that we should report on positive things that newspapers reported about his agency, such as ESL classes.
As Agency Director, I certainly did not blame the airline for the snafu, or at least I think I didn’t. Certainly, as the Primary Resettlement, The International Institute or Erie is responsible to ensure that our clients are met at the airport, and taken to their new home. We take full responsibility for the people we serve, and the mistakes that we sometimes make, and always have. … And to answer your comment on calling the airlines, that is EXACTLY what we did, and were told that the flight was cancelled. Our staff was unaware that our clients were put on a bus and transported to Erie from Cleveland, and not simply rebooked on the next flight out, as is normal procedure in this event. …You can also feel free to comment on respond to article to the many good things we do with our clients. As a matter of fact, their was a great article just above this one in the paper and on goerie.com that went into great detail about our ESL serivces we provide for newly arrived refugees and immigrants. I would be interested to hear what your thoughts are on that article as well.
Thank-you Mr. Flanagan for your response. I just found your comment in the spam filter (don’t know why it was there).
I then commented, “If you thought that the refugees had been rebooked on the next flight out of Cleveland to Erie, then didn’t you call the airline again to ask why they didn’t show up in Erie on the next flight? Where did you think they were? Also, did the IOM give the refugee your agency’s phone number in case of an airport mix-up? Arriving refugees need a contact number to get in touch with a live person from your agency after hours in case of future airline mix-ups.”
On Febuary 24th I also emailed Mr. Fanagan and asked him, “Mr. Flanagan, I posted your comment today after finding it in the spam filter. I didn’t know about the ESL article so I just went and found it. Do you have just the two ESL class levels? Beginners and intermediate? We have a lot of refugees who complain to us that the ESL they are offered is too easy and a waste of time. Alternately, other refugees who have no English at all have a hard time learning from a teacher who does not speak their language. How do you address that other than using photos, pointing, etc? What about Advanced English, e.g. for Iraqis or others with good English who just need to learn American English pronunciation? Does any agency in town offer it? How long may refugees attend your classes, 8 months, 5 years? Do you ever make referrals to First Alliance’s ESL class?”
Mr. Flanagan has not responded to the comment or to the email.
Posted in Burma/Myanmar, Erie, International Institute of Erie, IOM, meeting refugees at the airport, Pennsylvania, USCRI | Tagged: airport, erie, ESL, International Institute of Erie, IOM, John flanagan, Pennsylvania, USCRI | 1 Comment »
Posted by Christopher Coen on February 20, 2010
A refugee family from Burma was left stranded at the airport in Erie, Pennsylvania on February 18th (see article) or (here). USCRI’s local affiliate, the International Institute of Erie, claims it was the airline’s fault, although apparently no one from the Institute thought of checking online or calling the airport to confirm the family’s flight arrival time. Isn’ that just normal procedure?
Representatives of the International Institute of Erie, who were to meet the family, were never notified that the Continental Airlines flight had been canceled…The International Organization for Migration, which is not affiliated with the Erie institute, coordinates travel for refugees immigrating to the United States. Airline officials usually contact the organization, which in turn calls the institute or other host groups when a flight delay or cancellation occurs, said International Institute Director John Flanagan. As it turned out, the institute didn’t know the family was here until the Erie airport, not the international organization, called at about 6:30 a.m.”It was a broken line of communication,” Flanagan said. “We usually do a pretty good job.”
This procedure of relying on multiple agencies to call each other in a chain of communication is a set up for refugees being stranded at the airport again and again. Wouldn’t it make sense for resettlement agencies such as the International Institute to also simply call to verify flights? Then they could still blame the airlines for late or canceled flights but the refugees wouldn’t keep getting stranded.
Posted in Burma/Myanmar, Erie, IOM, Pennsylvania, USCRI | Tagged: airport, Burma, Burma/Myanmar, flight, internation organization for migration, International Institute of Erie, IOM, Myanmar, Pennsylvania, refugee, refugees, resettlement agencies, resettlement agency, stranded, USCRI | 3 Comments »
Christopher Coen
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