I recommend everyone fed up with The Pearl being a dumping ground for the homeless issue/Wilson’s far from perfect shelter plan continue to email or otherwise reach out to the mayor and district 4 councilors. The Pearl showed up in a big way to protect the Impact Reduction Program, and now we need to see impacts mitigated in our neighborhood. There is zero reason the areas around these shelters shouldn’t be getting extra and targeted attention so we aren’t dealing with camping, homeless trespassing and drugs/crime AND hosting hundreds of people in overnight shelters. Enough is enough.
Fair point, but there are definitely areas of Portland where this issue has been concentrated more than others. Areas that have been promised that these shelters won’t bring in more garbage, graffiti, open drug use, etc. should be getting more attention when it’s clear this has not been the case. They can’t keep expecting neighborhoods to “host” these and then leave them on their own with all the well documented problems.
Agree the City must be held accountable to follow with promises to police the area, maintain safety, and keep the area clean. I'm not sure Mitch Green is the best person to represent district 4 since he is opposed to sweeps even if the goal is to force people into shelters. What bothers me is the how so few people can do so much damage to Portland without any repercussions.
Totally agree on all points. Mitch Green will not have my vote next year and I hope others agree he seems to be working counter to what many of us want - which is a safe neighborhood and people off the street.
Mitch Green is a radical ideologue who has no interest in helping or protecting the taxpaying, law-abiding citizens who pay his salary. His sole purpose apparently is to unite with his DSA Party comrades' agenda of defunding public safety, driving businesses/high wage earning people to leave the County through exorbitant taxation, and virtue signaling. He represents his political party, not the residents of District 4.
Bring back Officer Krumpke from West Side Story—triple the number of officers on foot and Segway patrol 24/7. Cops in cars cruising the perimeter of Jamison Square aren’t working.
Create an ODOT hotline like Portland’s 311 to call out campers and drug markets now flourishing north to Vaughn Street.
Hire new service providers who can tackle our problems Systematically! Not with one-off solutions. Create a seamless safety net for houseless, hungry, mentally ill and drug addicts. Survey Pearl District residents and businesses regularly about safety and their ideas to deter bad behaviors.
Brendan, thank you for sharing your Christmas wish-list! I don't want to be a wet blanket nor bring you a lump of coal but...
"Triple the numbers of officers on foot and Segway patrol 24/7". Portlandia has systematically underfunded the police for decades. Portlandia has ~1.2 police officers peer 1000 residents compared to a national average of ~2.4. Where will we find these police officers to concentrate on the Pearl? Who will pay for this?
There's no point in creating an ODOT hotline, when ODOT isn't able to keep up with the complaints they do get. But you might try contacting ODOT at this website to report a campsite: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Regions/Pages/Reg-1-camps.aspx
"Hire new service providers... and create a seamless safety net for houseless, hungry, mentally ill and drug addicts". JVP/ Kafoury and the Homeless Industrial Complex have had 10 years and oodles of taxpayer ca$h to do come up with a plan for that and guess what? Your suggestion is an echo of many prior ones over many years... and nothing has changed. We're running out of time and especially, we're running out of money. The taxpayers and law-abiding residents of the Pearl District are the ones who need a safety net: a safety net from the persistent, feckless incompetence of our City and County Governments.
@Paul Douglas and @Brandan Doyle: The PPA announced a push to hire more police officers through a ballot measure diverting PCEF surplus. Here is one solution to your search, and its funds would not come from new taxes:
Our clueless Council still hasn't figured out that dropping property values will eventually erode the tax revenue they count on for their pet budget projects. Is there any quantitative evidence that can be presented that shows occupancy rates and revenue loss in the NWDA and Pearl District? Mitch Green who touts his economic expertise might be able to explain the concept to his colleagues on the Council.
Why would he explain what he doesn't want to see? He votes and thinks in lockstep with his DSA Comrades: Angelita, Tiffany, Jamie, Sameer and Candace. Mitch Green's "economic expertise" is only in service of the Party.
Thank you to Linda Witt and other volunteers who are continuously working to keep things documented. We all need to be reporting all that we are seeing.
Really appreciate the Pearl District Shelter Oversight Committee for doing all this monitoring and reporting. Also appreciate being able to receive it via the NW Examiner. Thank you!
I recommend everyone fed up with The Pearl being a dumping ground for the homeless issue/Wilson’s far from perfect shelter plan continue to email or otherwise reach out to the mayor and district 4 councilors. The Pearl showed up in a big way to protect the Impact Reduction Program, and now we need to see impacts mitigated in our neighborhood. There is zero reason the areas around these shelters shouldn’t be getting extra and targeted attention so we aren’t dealing with camping, homeless trespassing and drugs/crime AND hosting hundreds of people in overnight shelters. Enough is enough.
To be fair, most neighborhoods in Portland are a dumping ground for the homeless.
Fair point, but there are definitely areas of Portland where this issue has been concentrated more than others. Areas that have been promised that these shelters won’t bring in more garbage, graffiti, open drug use, etc. should be getting more attention when it’s clear this has not been the case. They can’t keep expecting neighborhoods to “host” these and then leave them on their own with all the well documented problems.
Agree the City must be held accountable to follow with promises to police the area, maintain safety, and keep the area clean. I'm not sure Mitch Green is the best person to represent district 4 since he is opposed to sweeps even if the goal is to force people into shelters. What bothers me is the how so few people can do so much damage to Portland without any repercussions.
Totally agree on all points. Mitch Green will not have my vote next year and I hope others agree he seems to be working counter to what many of us want - which is a safe neighborhood and people off the street.
Mitch Green is a radical ideologue who has no interest in helping or protecting the taxpaying, law-abiding citizens who pay his salary. His sole purpose apparently is to unite with his DSA Party comrades' agenda of defunding public safety, driving businesses/high wage earning people to leave the County through exorbitant taxation, and virtue signaling. He represents his political party, not the residents of District 4.
Mitch Green has GOT to go in 2026.
Bring back Officer Krumpke from West Side Story—triple the number of officers on foot and Segway patrol 24/7. Cops in cars cruising the perimeter of Jamison Square aren’t working.
Create an ODOT hotline like Portland’s 311 to call out campers and drug markets now flourishing north to Vaughn Street.
Hire new service providers who can tackle our problems Systematically! Not with one-off solutions. Create a seamless safety net for houseless, hungry, mentally ill and drug addicts. Survey Pearl District residents and businesses regularly about safety and their ideas to deter bad behaviors.
Brendan, thank you for sharing your Christmas wish-list! I don't want to be a wet blanket nor bring you a lump of coal but...
"Triple the numbers of officers on foot and Segway patrol 24/7". Portlandia has systematically underfunded the police for decades. Portlandia has ~1.2 police officers peer 1000 residents compared to a national average of ~2.4. Where will we find these police officers to concentrate on the Pearl? Who will pay for this?
There's no point in creating an ODOT hotline, when ODOT isn't able to keep up with the complaints they do get. But you might try contacting ODOT at this website to report a campsite: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Regions/Pages/Reg-1-camps.aspx
"Hire new service providers... and create a seamless safety net for houseless, hungry, mentally ill and drug addicts". JVP/ Kafoury and the Homeless Industrial Complex have had 10 years and oodles of taxpayer ca$h to do come up with a plan for that and guess what? Your suggestion is an echo of many prior ones over many years... and nothing has changed. We're running out of time and especially, we're running out of money. The taxpayers and law-abiding residents of the Pearl District are the ones who need a safety net: a safety net from the persistent, feckless incompetence of our City and County Governments.
@Paul Douglas and @Brandan Doyle: The PPA announced a push to hire more police officers through a ballot measure diverting PCEF surplus. Here is one solution to your search, and its funds would not come from new taxes:
https://open.substack.com/pub/stadiumhood/p/safety-climate-and-the-places-we?r=19mt14&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Our clueless Council still hasn't figured out that dropping property values will eventually erode the tax revenue they count on for their pet budget projects. Is there any quantitative evidence that can be presented that shows occupancy rates and revenue loss in the NWDA and Pearl District? Mitch Green who touts his economic expertise might be able to explain the concept to his colleagues on the Council.
Why would he explain what he doesn't want to see? He votes and thinks in lockstep with his DSA Comrades: Angelita, Tiffany, Jamie, Sameer and Candace. Mitch Green's "economic expertise" is only in service of the Party.
Mr. Classen, are you getting any comments, responses, anything from the City? Are they actually paying attention to what goes?
I'm getting some feedback from City Hall, but mostly avoidance. I think that's because they are paying attention but have no answers.
Thank you to Linda Witt and other volunteers who are continuously working to keep things documented. We all need to be reporting all that we are seeing.
Really appreciate the Pearl District Shelter Oversight Committee for doing all this monitoring and reporting. Also appreciate being able to receive it via the NW Examiner. Thank you!
Right on!