Blogtown, PDX

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

News Rent-A-Cop Exclusions This Year: 2,274

Posted by Matt Davis on Wed, Dec 19 at 12:57 PM

That’s 2,274 people this year who’ve been denied access to our parks without due process by downtown by rent-a-cops who dress like cops, carry guns, and have no civilian oversight, and whose salaries are paid by the Portland Business Alliance—which hasn’t exactly lobbied for a humane, person-to-person approach to the “homeless problem” over the years.

Parks Commissioner Dan Saltzman loves the rent-a-cop scheme, and has drawn no flack for it whatsoever in public from his fellow commissioners. Which to my mind makes them complicit.

Street Roots director Israel Bayer says: “”The idea that nearly 2,300 park exclusions have been handed out by a private agency is astonishing. We have a private agency enforcing a law that in many ways doesn’t even live up to an individual’s constitutional rights. If we are real about ending homelessness in Portland, and looking after the human rights of people, I think it’s time we as a city take a closer look at this process.”

Bayer and other homeless advocates are currently in back room negotiations with Portland Patrol, Inc. about getting more oversight for the firm. Let’s hope 1.get rid of their guns, 2.get rid of their cop uniforms are on the top of his list, or the homeless community won’t feel too strongly advocated for, in my view. This isn’t about easy political wins: It’s about getting a real change on the streets for the people affected. If you have to ruffle a few feathers to do it, then do it, Israel. Portland is counting on you.

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Comments

Street Roots along with other advocates have met w/City Hall, and then the PBA over pizza to discuss the recommendations.

All of the recommendations are still on the table, and we're in the process of following up with those meetings. Things haven't turned around as quickly as we would have liked because we're all extremely busy...

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And for the record, Matt, Portland should be counting on its elected officials to do the right thing!!! We're doing the best damn job we can.

Posted by Israel Bayer | December 19, 2007 2:05 PM

And good on you, Israel.

Still, I hope the PBA concedes on the guns and uniforms. Do you have a sense of whether that's likely, at all?

Posted by Matt Davis | December 19, 2007 2:36 PM

I don't know. Why don't you ask them?

Posted by Israel Bayer | December 19, 2007 3:10 PM

Touchy! Will do when I get back in January.

Posted by Matt Davis | December 19, 2007 3:13 PM

speaking as another member of that group (we are so secret we dont even give ourselves a name!), I think we are doing good work around this important issue for our community and that Israel, amongst others, has given a lot of time and blood to get this as far as it has come.
we recognize that both Portland's homeless community and the city at large is depending on us to get this right, we hope to represent them well.
will we get all we ask for, maybe, maybe not. we might not always get it right, but what is important is that we always try to do right.
thanks
Patrick

Posted by Patrick Nolen | December 19, 2007 3:52 PM

I hear you both. But what are you asking for?

Posted by Matt Davis | December 19, 2007 4:01 PM

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