Want some good news...? Sorry I have none.
Chased out the 53rd junkie this year from my alley yesterday.
Last years count on May 15 was 38. He was sticking the needle in his leg trying to find a vein. He poked himself several different times to no avail and eventually settled on his neck. Sad! He was from Riverside Cal. and came to Portland with 2 friends All three were in the same prison together and decided to make Oregon their home. They left and apologized for using the alley. As for the alley ...recliners, mattresses, blankets , clothing and piles of garbage.
The fence by the house that housed the murderer from the shooting at Hing Ming’s was down again. At night we see them like cockroaches going in and out all hours of the night.
Violent crime is on the rise.
Theft is on the decline, however most I spoke to believed it was more from folks just not reporting anymore. They believe crime from theft is up also... just folks quit calling it in. I for one believe that.
Now the good stuff. What will be happening over the next 5 years is the lowering of standards relating to many crimes.
Limits will be raised on theft and drug offenses will result in book and release. Why will this happen?
Well first we do not have an adequate number of police. We have a police department that has the same amount of cops on duty as we did in the 70's ...when there were a lot fewer folks and a lot different times.
Second ..we were already not using about 300 beds in the jails. Due to the new budget cuts..72 more beds are empty..or 2 pods.
Third... Our District Attorney's Office will lose 30 more DA's. Yep that will bring us to a level we had 30 years ago. There will be give or take a few. 62 DA's down from 92 which was 104 not to far back.
What does this mean? It means that areas will be filled with a lot more petty and small crime which will result in much more serious crimes. Example. Lots of drug users bring lots of drug dealers. At least 2 of the murders in Lents were about drugs from what I have been told.
When I told you all 4 years ago it was coming..many thought I had no idea what I was talking about. Even now that it is upon us there are those out there that believe that somehow this will not affect them. That is a big mistake.
Most folks here have no clue as to how bad things can get. No one I am sure thought that this small neighborhood could have 5 murders in a few months…4 in the last month.
You do still have a few choices. You can unite, stand together and get loud.. or go hide…not saying by pushing back it will get any better...but it beats doing nothing.