Business owners frustrated by vandalism, property crime as police say they lack resources
By AUDREY WEIL
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PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — We’re hearing over and over again from Portland police that they’re understaffed, under-budgeted, and not able to keep up with the amount of crime in the city.
Now it’s putting a strain on business owners when things like vandalism are impacting them and their customers.
A couple of weeks ago, the staff at Mother’s Bistro and Bar in Downtown Portland found themselves cleaning up shattered glasses after someone got mad and knocked them to the ground.
“I was on the police nonemergency line for an hour and a half couldn’t get through so then I filed a police report and all you see is something saying ok we got your police report,” owner Lisa Schroeder said.
Fast forward to this past Sunday, and she said she believes it was the same woman who stole a customer’s purse during brunch, which her staff was able to get back, and then security video shows the person smashing a customer’s car with a skateboard.
“There was a time when a smashed something would have been an anomaly, now a smashed something is almost an everyday occurrence,” she said. “It just makes it hard to do business, it makes it hard for people to come here.”
And she said what makes it even harder is there doesn’t seem to be anyone to turn to, to stop it.
“This isn’t a priority and apparently any personal property damage isn’t a priority but then what do you do? Portland remains lawless, anyone can go around smashing anything and it’s ok?,” she said.
Portland Police tell us they have only four detectives assigned to follow up on felony property crimes, and sometimes officers can link evidence to repeat offenders, but for the most part, police said they can barely keep up with crimes against people, so working on property crimes is rare.
And police said they haven’t been able to hire the staff they need.
Lt. Greg Pashley said in response to our questions via email, “The problem people are experiencing with what seems like very limited police response is going to get worse. I would encourage people to continue to report crime and call to report crime in progress. Those calls and reports will hopefully justify community demands for proper budgeting and staffing of police. All this is very frustrating to the community and officers alike and we all share the feeling that people are simply getting away with things.”
“At a certain point I wonder where do we go from here, if you can’t get through to the police, if no one will come to your rescue and all you can do is file a piece of paper that’s meaningless what’s the point,” Schroeder said.
We sent those comments from the police bureau to the mayor’s office and every city commissioner Monday night asking for a response.
We also asked if there’s anyone else they suggest business owners and crime victims call in these situations when they can’t turn to the police, and so far we have not heard back.
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