We have launched a petition to the city and county leadership in Portland. Please visit our change.org petition at this link, sign and share. Time is of the essence! Please sign here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/coalitiontosaveportland

Once a vibrant city, Portland is dying from failed policies, filth, crime and corruption. We demand sensibility, compassion and common-sense return immediately to Portland’s elected leadership for the sake of all Portlanders. The Coalition to Save Portland was formed as a result of community members reacting to failed leadership and policies in the City of Portland. We ask all Portlanders to consider the following:

POLICE

Crime in the city of Portland has increased dramatically in the last year.  Murders in the city have surpassed a 30-year high, shootings have increased 243%, and arsons have increased 400%. The Portland police force, which was already was understaffed at the beginning of 2020, and has been defunded each year for well over a decade, has had their budget reduced an additional 15 million dollars this year. Hiring has been frozen, 911 calls have gone unanswered, and the gun violence reduction task force has been disbanded. Many crimes remain unsolved, with little to no in-depth investigation. Minorities in Portland, especially black Portlanders, have been disproportionately affected by these crimes. 

HOUSING & SERVICES

Our homeless epidemic in Portland continues to increase despite the fact that our city has raised nearly 1 billion dollars for affordable housing and homeless services. Additionally, our county as well as Portland Metro, which is responsible for human services, are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars each on this problem without any sign of improvement. Over half of our homeless in Portland are unsheltered. Portland ranks as one of four cities nationwide that shares this shameful statistic. Our streets are hardly recognizable from just a few years ago, and our city and county policies lack true compassion or reason. Residential streets and highways are littered with needles, human waste, trash, and abandoned RV’s and vehicles. Illegal camping is widely accepted, and the mandates during Covid-19 have interrupted outreach to these communities. During Covid-19, the police have been asked to not enforce or clean up illegal camping sites regardless of their location or potential danger to the community. Drug use and overdoses are at an all-time high. The most vulnerable among us, our unsheltered, mentally ill, and drug addicted who are living on our streets are left to suffer without shelter or medical or emotional treatment.

PROSECUTION OF CRIME

Our district attorney and his office have refused to prosecute crime.  Repeat offenders for auto theft, assault, and drugs are arrested and released in a matter of hours, many times with their charges dropped. Portlanders have been assaulted, stabbed, shot and raped by these repeat offenders. For the few who are prosecuted and sentenced, our county has released a much larger number of offenders from jail, and two sections of the Inverness jail continue to be closed indefinitely.

RIOTING

Our peaceful protests, many of which have turned into chaos and riots due to a minority who are bad actors, have been of little concern to Portland’s city leadership. Those committing arson, assault and looting often receive no consequences for their actions. This has been accepted and exulted by our leadership as an acceptable form of change. Property damage, arson and theft have forced large businesses to leave the downtown corridor, which has a direct ripple effect upon small businesses.

The current situation throughout Portland is untenable, and immediate action is required. With Portland’s mayoral and city council position 4 election in less than 30 days, we specifically demand the following from not only these new elected officials, but our other city council, county commissioners, and district attorney’s office. 

1.     End the War on Cops. Get more training and resources to help officers improve their practices.

2.     End all the violent riots, looting, and arson disguised as peaceful political protest. Zero tolerance going forward.

3.     Reverse the increase in crime by increasing police response, arresting, and prosecuting all criminals.

4.     Promote peaceful dialogue on divisive issues that includes all points of view in our community. Shun any group promoting or engaging in violence to advance its point of view.

5.     Commit to concrete actions to protect and restore our local small businesses.

6.    Set a deadline to clean up the city and end unsheltered homelessness.  Withdraw incentives for homelessness to continue to grow.

7.     Seek cooperation with and assistance from all levels of law enforcement, including requesting national guard support, when the city is overwhelmed by riots, looting, and arson.

The Coalition To Save Portland was formed to influence the political process and leadership in Portland to end violence, reduce crime, restore law and order, reverse defunding of the police, and bring the community together to begin a dialogue about finding real solutions to Portland’s challenges and problems. We are growing each day and we invite Portland residents to join us in demanding our city embrace these common sense directives. Join the coalition www.savepdx.org or join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/coalitiontosaveportland