PDX Mayor concerned Police Profile Homeless

[ron]

"The real question here is, 'Is there some sort of profiling or implicit bias?'" Wheeler told the Oregonian on July 13. "From my perspective, that's the crux of the situation. The police should be focused on policing criminal activity, and that's sort of the beginning, the middle and the end of it for me."

Tragedy for the homeless profiled by Portland Police. They are just a victim
of the evil capitalist society. They have needs, need money. Ted wants to spend
more money and give them free housing. In who's world does this make sense?
Police Union President: Portland has become 'a cesspool'

Read More

 

[BillM]

"3% of the population is responsible for 52% of the arrests" Wow.

Wish I had a simple answer. Maybe we need to bring back the County work/poor farms?

 

[edslhead]

I thought camping on the streets was illegal

 

[Lefty60]

These folks are committing crimes that are consuming 52% of the time that law enforcement has to spend on dealing with the crime!

They are not left with any "spare time" to "profile," it is a case of the worst public safety issues getting first priority!

 

[clearconscience]

Maybe if the city didn't harbor and protect criminal street living they would have less issues.

20-50 year olds drug addicts, alcoholics, mentally ill, and anti-society types are frequently arrested by LEOs!?
No way

 

[SA Shooter]

You profile criminals and potential criminals. Those 3 percenters are the majority of the law breakers within specific sections of downtown PDX.

Travel via Max from the campsite at NE 11th Ave to Burnside and then up to Pioneer Square and 10th Avenue (the infamous Free Rail Zone) provides them with stops where 1) the can sleep, 2) where they can eat, 3) where they can panhandle, 4) where they can score the drug of their liking, and, 5) a place to crash and dream in the summer sun.

Wheeler may sound all rightously concerned but what he is really doing is enabling this societal cesspool and dragging PDX down with him and his cronies.

 

[No_Regerts]

The 3% thing is no joke. If I see certain people that are frequent fliers, I run their names. More often than not, they have warrants and I'll contact that person. They get searched incident to arrest and often have something illegal going on them. This kind of sucks in a way because most of the time, they aren't doing something heinous. But, they have responsibilities and disregard them. The courts don't like that. The court has no power without rinky-dink arrests.

There are crime analysts who can take statistics and without checking jail rosters, can tell when certain people are locked up because you see a dip in their preferred crime. A big drop in car prowl calls? So and so must be in jail. A spike in commercial burglaries? Start checking so and so's offer-up.

Its super predictable.

 

[SUPER X]

"The real question here is, 'Is there some sort of profiling or implicit bias?'" Wheeler told the Oregonian on July 13. "From my perspective, that's the crux of the situation. The police should be focused on policing criminal activity, and that's sort of the beginning, the middle and the end of it for me."

Tragedy for the homeless profiled by Portland Police. They are just a victim
of the evil capitalist society. They have needs, need money. Ted wants to spend
more money and give them free housing. In who's world does this make sense?
Police Union President: Portland has become 'a cesspool'

How long has the homeless problem been out of hand in Portland ?. Ive always seen a few around but since about 2015 it has turned into a 3rd world country. Did I just not notice .looks to be about 10 times what it was. Some look like OK people just down on there luck but i seen much more people i would not turn my back on. Some of the stuff i seen ive never seen before in city limits. It looks worse than the old migrant camps from the 60s

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

The homeless need mental health help and drug treatment before free housing.

 

[American123]

"3% of the population is responsible for 52% of the arrests" Wow.

Wish I had a simple answer. Maybe we need to bring back the County work/poor farms?

There is a simple answer, just not one that some would consider 'humane'

 

[Bones2586]

How long has the homeless problem been out of hand in Portland ?. Ive always seen a few around but since about 2015 it has turned into a 3rd world country. Did I just not notice .looks to be about 10 times what it was. Some look like OK people just down on there luck but i seen much more people i would not turn my back on. Some of the stuff i seen ive never seen before in city limits. It looks worse than the old migrant camps from the 60s

Out of hand in Portland, I'd say it is out of hand throughout multiple, various, several, many (insert adjective here related to numerous) of the bigger cities in the US of A. Worse in the warmer months, but it's all over the country. I remember seeing my first "homeless person" in Nashville, TN, in the mid-eighties, and making a comment to my buddy, "Hey, what's that guy?". Now, see them every day during the transit to/from work, and don't blink an eye...it's the norm.

 

[308]

"3% of the population is responsible for 52% of the arrests" Wow.

Wish I had a simple answer. Maybe we need to bring back the County work/poor farms?

A whole industry could come out of making people work for thier food. Those who would work. Those who manage. Those who transport. Those who provide day care. Plenty of cleanup and weed whacking in the PDX area for sure. All of this could help these people transition to a better life through, shall I say...."forced work to earn their free stuff"? Sounds so mean though...but hey, even the Bible say if a man does not work, he should not eat.

 

[cigars]

So half of the arrests of the arrests in PDX are of the homeless? Could that be because they are committing half of the crimes?

 

[Mikej]

You profile criminals and potential criminals. Those 3 percenters are the majority of the law breakers within specific sections of downtown PDX.

Travel via Max from the campsite at NE 11th Ave to Burnside and then up to Pioneer Square and 10th Avenue (the infamous Free Rail Zone) provides them with stops where 1) the can sleep, 2) where they can eat, 3) where they can panhandle, 4) where they can score the drug of their liking, and, 5) a place to crash and dream in the summer sun.

Wheeler may sound all rightously concerned but what he is really doing is enabling this societal cesspool and dragging PDX down with him and his cronies.

The city did away with the free rail some years ago. Think it was Sam Adams.

We don't have the police on the street that we should have. But we got's great bicycle infrastructure!!

Wifey got put on hold calling 911 from the store she works at when one of the "Canners" brandished a machete. That was around 3-4 this last Monday afternoon.

 

[Deavis]

Someone sent me this in response to the Mayor.... I can't remember where it came from but it seems like it's pretty spot on :


More Failed Policies
Our City has become a cesspool. Livability that once made Portland a unique and vibrant city is now replaced with human feces in businesses doorways, in our parks, and on our streets. Aggressive panhandlers block the sidewalks, storefronts, and landmarks like Pioneer Square, discouraging people from enjoying our City. Garbage-filled RVs and vehicles are strewn throughout our neighborhoods. Used needles, drug paraphernalia, and trash are common sights lining the streets and sidewalks of the downtown core area, under our bridges, and freeway overpasses. That's not what our families, business owners, and tourists deserve.

Mayor Wheeler's public policies have failed. Record tax revenues are being brought into the City; yet what do we have to show for it? I am incensed that once again the Mayor has thrown Portland Police Officers under the bus instead of saying what we all know to be true: that his proposed solutions to our homelessness crisis have failed. What we need is for our City and County leaders to take responsibility for this crisis getting out of hand. They need to put forth actual solutions with actual results and stop throwing hard-earned taxpayer dollars down a black hole.

True to form, instead of standing up and leading, Mayor Wheeler has reverted to the, "Is there some sort of profiling or implicit bias by the cops" rhetoric to smokescreen his own failed policies. Will investigating our officers result in more housing for the homeless? Will it provide more mental health or addiction resources for those in need? Will it resolve the livability issues that Portland residents and business owners face daily? Of course not! It's more of the same from the Mayor; failed policies and blaming others for his failures.

The Portland Police Bureau not been given nearly enough resources to fulfill its small piece in addressing the homelessness crisis. We are understaffed. Officers are unable to spend the time needed to connect our homeless to necessary services, whether it be housing, mental health services, drug rehabilitation, or other resources. It's a recipe for failure to put the burden of the homelessness solution on the Police Bureau's shoulders and then give us insufficient resources to do the work.

The rank and file of the Portland Police Bureau are working tirelessly to improve livability in our City, preserve public safety, and connect our vulnerable communities to social services. We are the first line resource on the streets serving the public—including the homeless—every day with care and professionalism. The fact that our officers have become the scapegoats for Mayor Wheeler's failed public policies aimed at solving our homelessness crisis is insulting.

Portland Police Officers deserve better. Our families and communities deserve better. Our businesses deserve better. Our City deserves better!

 

[Mikej]

The only thing missing from that letter is it should have started with former may Sam Adams. And then Charlie Hales, and THEN Ted Wheeler!

But hey! We have great bicycle infrastructure!

 

[DirectDrive]

The PDX mayor is a douche.
What he thinks doesn't matter....Portland is being wrecked on his watch.

 

[mkwerx]

40+ years of the nuts running the asylum.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

How long has the homeless problem been out of hand in Portland ?

Since October 6, 2011 when Occupy Portland took over downtown and many urban campers became permanent.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

Where Portland is headed