According to an article in the August 3 issue of the _Observer_, our
gay newspaper here in Tucson, the Tucson police are again arresting gay men
in the city parks for having sex and/or cruising. The TPD did much the same
thing about 2-3 years ago, but stopped after the local papers exposed their
entrapment-based "enforcement." A new, more pro-gay police chief may have
helped, too, but she's now gone and the vice squad is back to their old
tricks.
   Below is the partial text of the material that appeared in the _Observer_.
I'll intersperse it with my own comments, indicated by the < in front of it.

Tucson Police Raiding Parks Again, 17 Arrests Made
TLGA Meets with Police Officials
Community Warned to Act with Caution

TUCSON -- The Tucson Police Department has been conducting raids in Reid Park
for the past week or so and has made 17 arrests for "actual sex and public
masturbation" according to Dave Sherman of the Tucson Lesbian/Gay Alliance
(TLGA).
    On Monday, Aug. 1, some members of TLGA met with three Tucson Police
Department administrators about the situation in Reid Park. The police reported
that they have received complaints of sexual activity in the restrooms and have
made arrests.
    In talking to some of those arrested, complaints were made about harass-
ment, entrapment and a lack of respect shown to gays and lesbians who exercise
their right to be in the park.

<Nothing new about any of this -- typical TPD behavior! :(

    As a result of this meeting, the police agreed (1) that no arrests should
be made based on words spoken with an undercover policeman; (2) no arrests
based on police inducement, suggestion or entrapment; (3) no harassment,
showing disrespect or saying that gays and lesbians are not welcome in the
parks.
    In exchange, TLGA representatives agreed to get the word out to the gay and
lesbian community that it is illegal to participate in sexual acts in the park
and that you will be arrested.

< ...arrested only if you're gay, not if you're straight, that is!
< This part really burns me up -- in exchange for the cops promising not to do
< what *they should not be doing in the first place*, the "good fags" of TLGA
< have agreed to tell the rest of us "bad fags" to behave ourselves! Such a
< deal!
< And just who appointed this TLGA to be the spokespersons for the whole
< "community," anyway?

    TLGA representatives agreed to meet with the Tucson Police Department on
a monthly basis.
    Anyone who has complaints that the police are violating these rules must
come forward and let TLGA know. (Info on contact person deleted here.)

< And if anyone actually believes that the TPD will obey these rules, I've got,
< as the C&W singer George Strait crooned, "oceanfront proprty in Arizona"
< to sell you!
< And IF this is such a major problem in the parks, why couldn't the TPD just
< have *uniformed cops* patrol the parks? I'm sure that alone would vastly
< reduce the sexual activity in said parks. Did TLGA ever suggest that? I
< doubt it.
< But even if they had, I'm sure TPD Vice would never go for it. After all,
< that would deprive those homophobes and closet cases the satisfaction of
< things like entrapment!

I would also point out that this is a department that claims it doesn't have
enough money to respond in person to "routine" events such as traffic accidents
and burglary. Yet they have the money for this sort of thing? Sounds
suspiciously like homophobia to me!

Any comments on any of this?
                                                            Cheers,
                                                             Stan :)