Residents in southeast Portland told city and county officials Tuesday night that they’re fed up with high rates of property crime and car thefts, concerned about the fallout of the region’s homelessness crisis, and worried about a perceived increase in discarded syringes associated with intravenous drug use.
Speaking at a public safety forum hosted by the Lents Neighborhood Association, neighbors told a panel of political, public safety and public health officials that they want more police officers walking the beat and fewer syringes on the street. They also said they wanted to keep working closely with city and county officials to improve livability in their neighborhoods.
“We believe in partnerships with agencies, that advocacy is empowering,” Jennifer Young, a member of the Lents Neighborhood Association, told the crowd members who gathered at Kelley Elementary School.
Mark Wells, with the City of Portland’s crime prevention program, pitched the Neighborhood Watch program — there are 10 watches already in the Lents neighborhood.
Megan Greenauer, with the city’s code enforcement program, said residents can reach out to her to discuss vacant homes and a new program for addressing nuisance RVs.
Portland Police Sgt. Randy Teig with the Lents Neighborhood Response Team, said his officers have been working hard.
“We got some motorhomes out of here that were causing problems,” he said. And his officers spent more than 500 hours patrolling the Springwater Corridor path between July and December last year, making 76 arrests, mostly people with outstanding warrants.
Residents asked why officers don’t arrest more people who camp on property marked with “no trespass” signs.
“We focus on crimes that will get a person in jail for a week or two weeks and out of your face,” Teig said. “I can go out and make a trespass arrest. Yes. But then he’s back out before my guy is done with the paperwork. So we’re focusing on the real offenders, guys causing actual safety problems.”
For someone whose only offense might be pitching a tent, he said, an arrest just isn’t the best way to help them move on and rebuild their lives.
“If we can get shelter beds, then we have a place for them to go,” Teig said, “then the equation changes.”
Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw agreed.
“We could arrest and displace the problem, but we really need to make sure, when we do put hands on someone, that there’s follow through. Is the person getting the services they need? Are they in custody when they probably need some sort of wraparound services?” Outlaw said. “We’ve been meeting with county partners to address just this.”
Nathan Vasquez, a senior deputy district attorney who supervises the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office’s Neighborhood DA Program, said prosecutors have to keep in mind the root causes that might bring someone into contact with the justice system.
“We do our best to put people in prison who need to go to prison,” he said. “But we work with others who have lost their way, to stop impacting the livability you feel every single day.”
Hayden Miller, constituent liaison for Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson, encouraged residents to contact her office to discuss homelessness and affordable housing, as well as access to addiction and mental health services.
“We need more resources for those struggling with addiction,” he said.
Tri-County Health Officer Paul Lewis said the county’s syringe exchange has been one of the most powerful programs to introduce people to drug treatment and other health and social services. The exchange launched in 1989 to slow the spread of HIV among people using intravenous drugs. “And it’s been very effective,” he said.
Some neighbors have concerns about discarded syringes, Lewis said. But he said it’s important to remember that syringe exchanges are just that.
“It’s not a hand out, it’s an exchange,” he said. “We know how many go out, and how many come in.”
In fact, Lewis said, the Multnomah County Health Department and its exchange partners at Outside In recently tallied the total number of syringes handed out and returned since 2013.
“Over the last five years, we’ve collected and disposed of more syringes than we’ve distributed,” he said.
Following the panel discussion, residents came to ask more questions about syringe disposal. Nancy Merchant lives in Foster-Powell. She said she was taught never to touch a syringe, but now hears that she can pick them up herself. “I don’t want to get stuck with one,” she told Lewis.
“We’ve done such a good job of getting people to be careful, right? But there’s a safe way to do it,” he said, offering her a handout with instructions. “The idea is to put them in a hard plastic container.”
Sabina Urdes, who chairs the Lents Neighborhood Association, wanted to know which agency was responsible for collecting and disposing of discarded syringes.
Lewis said no single agency has taken it on. Metro has two locations, but one is north of the industrial district and the other is in Oregon City.
“We have had a couple disposal boxes, along the waterfront,” he said. “So we know it works.”
“If we want for advocate for this, who should we talk to?” Urdes asked. “We want to be involved. We want to help.” Lewis pointed to representatives for Mayor Ted Wheeler and Vega Pederson.
Lents resident Nicole Leaper said she wanted to see a countywide disposal solution.
“Is there a way to mobilize the fire department, so no matter where you live you know where to go?” she asked.
“I like the way you’re thinking. We’re thinking that way, too,” he said. “We’re working with a bunch of city people to find ways to expand disposal options.”
Leaper said the root of so many of neighbors’ livability concerns appears to be addiction. How do we expand access to those services, she asked.
“I don’t have a simple answer,” he said. “We need to expand treatment, but there’s an underlying issue of housing. It’s so frustrating. I can prescribe treatment but if there’s not place for that person to live, it won’t be very successful.”