Parks bureau to create new rangers to patrol public parks

BY JAKE THOMAS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Portland Parks and Recreation’s contract for downtown security services is coming up for renewal. And with the season’s change is in the air.

Currently, a subsidiary of the Portland Business Alliance holds the $530,000 contract with the parks bureau for downtown security services. The PBA then contracts through the private security firm, Portland Patrol Inc., or PPI, for actual patrols.

Under this arrangement, 38 armed and 22 unarmed PPI guards patrol Portland’s Business Improvement District, 213 square blocks of downtown. Guards in the district operate between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends in the district. PPI guards also patrol 12 parks in the downtown as well as the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade as part of the current contract with the parks bureau.

Group marches against sit-lie, camping ordinances

(July 9) A group of what appears to be around 200 individuals – mostly young college kids and individuals on the streets marched from the North Park Blocks to the Clean & Safe (Portland Patrol Inc.) headquarters chanting, “Stop police brutality, stop the war against the poor.”

The group is apparently protesting the sit-lie and camping ordinances while trying to raise awareness about the Portland Patrol Inc. (PPI) overseen by the Portland Business Alliance via the City of Portland. The controversial private security company has the capacity to enforce public policy (park exclusions) with no government oversight.

The group gathered to give a round of speeches across the street from the downtown Clean & Safe offices. After one speaker told the crowd that PPI has the authority to carry weapons, one onlooker asked who gives them that authority?  There was no answer.

After a few speeches the group moved from the Clean & Safe offices down 1st Avenue in route to the police station and the Portland Business Alliance headquarters.

One individual was ticketed by police for interfering with traffic at NW 1st & Davis.

A Portland Coalition Against Poverty pamphlet handed out during the rally says they are “dedicated to ending poverty through community empowerment and the dismantling of institutions that perpetuate inequality and oppression.” 

posted by Israel Bayer