CPAC Meeting Minutes March 20th 2008

CENTRAL EASTSIDE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
COMMUNITY POLICING ACTION COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF MEETING March 20, 2008

In Attendance: Gilly Burlingham – Buckman Community Association; Steve Kraten – Metro; Randy Reagan – Quadrant Systems; Bob Scott – Northwest Bank; Christina Albo – Resolutions Northwest; Jon Gaddis – Portland Police Bureau; Mike Castlio – Portland Police Bureau; Susan Lathrom – Parking Enforcement; Scott Westerman – Portland Police Bureau; Bob Heimbach – Portland Police Bureau; Max Rees – Resident; P. G. Davis – Resident; Jenna Plank – Multnomah County DA; Larry Graham – Portland Police Bureau; Marcia Dennis – ONI – Graffiti Abatement; Pamela Chapel; Coaxis, Rivereast, LLC – Max Margolis – O.N.I.; Katherine Anderson – O.N.I. Crime Prevention; Terry Taylor – CEIC; David Lorati – CEIC; Mark Warrington – Portland Parks & Rec; Anthony Amayer – Resident; Matt Engen – Portland Police Bureau; Bill Senate – Portland Police Bureau; Burt Geiger – CEIC; Karon Keup – American Medical Response

Bert Geiger opened the meeting and introductions were made around the room.

Graffiti Update – Marcia Dennis
O.N.I. held the first collaborative neighborhood cleanup with Northwest District Association. Seven more are planned between now and October.

Marcia said she would like to put together a committee to pull litter from utility poles, etc. PGE is interest in working with Marcia and the committee. If interested, please contact Marcia.

Next week a fellow from No Graffiti Network will be coming to look at a new web based database.

Marcia has designed a new Crime Stopper Flyer (smaller) that is being used by some of the apartment complexes. If you are interested in having one of these flyers, please contact Marcia.

Beginning today, the monthly task force meetings will be held alternately at Southeast, East and Northeast Precincts.

According to Marcia, graffiti is thriving! If you find that your property has been tagged with graffiti, take photos, then contact the graffiti hotline and report the incident to the police.

Marcia had a meeting with a woman in the Seattle Parks Department who has an interest in a variety of jurisdictions regarding dealing with graffiti.

Marcia reported that several cities in East County are planning to implement the spray can ordinance.

DA Office Update – Jenna Plank

Jenna stated that two graffiti offenders had been arrested last week and are being prosecuted. Presently, there is more attention being paid to graffiti and graffiti offenders.

Jenna issued over 50 cases in the past month regarding transient issues. The DA’s office is reviewing all cases. If the offender does not appear for arraignment, a warrant is issued for his/her arrest.

Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET) – Sgt. Larry Graham

Sgt. Graham of the Neighborhood Enforcement Team will be focusing on whatever issues are prevalent in the area. He arrested four graffiti offenders and closed down a drug house.

He is doing a month-long (at least) mission re transient issues. There has been a lot of pushover from downtown. He is focusing on tents, lean-tos, mattresses, etc., places where structures are being erected. He is not citing them at this time, but giving them options and resources for help.

Sgt. Graham began one and one-half weeks ago at SE 10th and Oak, were there were seven to eight campsites. As of this morning, there was just one tent still there.

Burg asked about the mix between transients vs. illegal immigrants. Sgt. Graham said he had not run into any illegal immigrants.

He said that the main reason some people are still on the streets is that they refuse to give up their pets or their alcohol or their drug addition, so they are unable to get into the shelters. He asked that, of you have a situation you would like him to look at, please e-mail him at HYPERLINK “mailto:lgraham@portlandpolice.org” lgraham@portlandpolice.org. He said that Officer Castlio had put up the no camping warning signs.

Law Enforcement – Officer Mike Castlio & Lt. Bob Heimbach

Mike said that transient issues are not unfamiliar to any of us. He needs ideas from the community regarding how to solve the problem. He said that the call load is so heavy, they don’t have the time to sit and solve a problem; this needs to be an ongoing community effort.

He stated that the big camps are the ones that draw the most attention. And, until we get the funding we need, the police are just pushing the problem from one area of town to another.

He said he certainly sympathizes with the people in the community. And he invited anyone who might be interested, at anytime, to come out and ride around with an officer.

Mike said that his partner had worked with Metro on an Inter-Governmental Agreement where convict crews would respond to camp cleanups. Metro is trying to push the agreement through the city attorney’s office.

Mike invited Randy Reagan from Quadrant to present at our meeting next month the great camera security system used by Quadrant. Police have been able to identify some violators through his photos.

Mike also pointed out the enormous amount of paperwork that needs to be done on each case, which is keeps officers off the streets.
He again admonished that we keep a lookout around our area, to pick up building materials, pallets, etc, to discourage transients.

Mike introduced Lt. Bob Heimbach, who replaced Lt. Vince Elmore, and identified the folks Lt. Heimbach is responsible for: NRT, NET, detectives and ID theft folks. Lt. Heimbach has been in Southeast Precinct a little over a year.

Mike reiterated what Sgt. Graham has stated, that Central Precinct has squeezed transients from that area over to our side of town.

Service Coordination Presentation – Bill Senate & Jeff Meyer

By way of introduction, Bill said that he retired from the Portland Police Bureau two years ago. Central Eastside Industrial area was his district, so is very aware of campers, drug dealers, etc.

He went to work for the Portland Business alliance’s Clean & Safe program. A lot of the PBA members were former police officers. They have discussed a lot of solutions, but solutions cost money.

Bill said that the shelters are full; approximately 150 men will be put on the streets in downtown Portland due to the closing of the winter shelters.

Bill was hired back to the police department on the Service Coordination Team. Bill said he deals with street people with criminal behavior, not just because they are homeless.

Bill and talked about Project Access, which targets chronic offenders – people like the man that was arrested over 40 times in a three-month period. The “top 35” are identified and put on a list. There are lots of officers walking the beat, taking these offenders to jail. When they get out, the officers strongly suggest that they get into drug rehab or alcohol rehab, etc.

Bill said, “We can’t force them to get off drugs, to get help, but we can help motivate them to do so.” Those who refuse or do not go into a rehab program then go to a “top 400” list. The next time that person is arrested, his name jumps to the “top 35” list again, and the cycle continues.

Bill stated that, because of this program, the crime rate in downtown Portland has decreased. The program is and continues to be successful.

Jeff Meyer talked about the worst offenders that are now better.

He said that “the old system is broken – 2% of the offenders are doing 80% of the drug crimes in downtown.” The courts don’t have the resources to prosecute. The offenders spend one to three days in jail. This program has the ability to stabilize behavior and outsource the offenders immediately to housing and treatment.

Jeff described what his group does and how they have reduced the recidivism rate – a 71% reduction in a 21-month period. The impetus behind the Service coordination Team is the result of the deletion of the drug free-zone.

Jeff said that, when there was a drug-free zone, when a person was detained on suspicion of drugs,
less than 15% of the time would the police find a crack pipe, drugs or crack pipe residue. Now it is 100% of the time. Having a crack pipe with residue is now a felony. A particular offender can be “zoned out” of a particular area post-prosecution.

Jeff is working downtown, Northeast and Southeast. He and his team are hunting the 2% doing the 80% of the crimes. Offenders are held in jail for three days; then in a rehab facility for six months to get clean and learn “how not to be a criminal.” They are then outsourced into housing.

They have found that a large proportion among the offenders have gotten better. And it is so much cheaper to deal with the illness or addiction than the cost of jailing. And it is successful. The County Commissioners have wholly voted for this program and funded it for the first six months. And it is already in the budget for the continuation through 2008/2009.

There was a question regarding how we (CEIC) can help.

Jeff answered that we should acknowledge the successes when they come into our area. There are different treatment models for prostitution and alcohol. But they are “managing the behavior” of the 2% doing 80% of the crimes.

Parking Enforcement – Susan Lathrom

In January, the Parking Enforcement began to educate people on parking correctly. People with the Zone G passes are getting the most citations, for parking in 15 or 30-minute time zones, blocking fire hydrants, etc. So far it has just been educational. Starting in about 60 days, more strict parking enforcement will begin, and tickets will be given.

Open Forum

Christina Albo, with Resolutions Northwest, talked about the “Good Neighbor Agreement” process with the new day laborer site at MLK and Everett. She is dealing with concerns from anyone in the immediate (two block radius) area.

Burt asked Randy Reagan from Quadrant to bring whatever information he has that has been successful to next month’s meeting.

Frequently Used Phone Numbers

*Police Non-Emergency 503-823-3333
*Southeast Precinct 503-823-2143
Officer Mike Castlio 503-793-1690
*Abandoned vehicles 503-823-7309
*Graffiti Hotline (police info) 503-823-4824
*Hooper Center {CHIERS} 503-238-2067
*JOIN 503-232-2031
*Neighborhood clean-up 503- 988-3145
*ONI – Graffiti Abatement
(Marcia Dennis) 503-823-5860
mdennis@ci.portland.or.us
*Parking Enforcement 503-823-6834
*Project Response 503-988-4838
*City Housing (Steve Kass) 503-823-7980
*Trespass / Vagrancy 211
*Union Pacific Railroad 888-877-7267