If you're going to have streetcars...
... then you can't have police precincts. Great choices, Portland!
| Posted at 9:19 PM | Permalink |
|
About
This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on January 21, 2009 9:19 PM.
The previous post in this blog was Novick for Mayor.
The next post in this blog is Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'.
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
Comments (10)
I guess there will be no more crime under this new regime?
Posted by portland native | January 21, 2009 10:02 PM
Eliminating precincts in North and Southeast would seem to mean a major cutback in service to two pretty high crime areas.
Posted by Roger | January 21, 2009 10:04 PM
It's stuff like this that make me want to see Adams removed from office even more. the city needs to take care of BASIC services before doing all the other crap. Portland does the opposite now.
Posted by Westside Guy | January 21, 2009 10:17 PM
Seems to me that it makes sense to reduce police management and administration and put more cops on the street. Plus, with the police and fire budgets something like 2/3 of the total general fund, if you don't cut them you're basically cutting the hell out of parks.
Posted by Miles | January 21, 2009 11:05 PM
Police and Fire are analogous with Portland Public Schools in that they are always clamoring for funds, but they are administered and managed to death. With the amount of money spent in "oversight," one would think that these agencies would be the paradigm of efficiency.
I agree that there needs to be more patrol and community policing, but until the aforementioned root causes are addressed, the cycle of waste will continue.
Posted by Z | January 21, 2009 11:11 PM
cops....can't live with them, can't live without them.
Probably a good choice to put cops back on the street to combat the recent rise in gang violence, and eliminate managers just doing busy work. However, losing precincts will eliminate visibility and programs that have a direct positive effect in local neighborhoods. Feeling safe can be as important as being safe for some.
Posted by Gibby | January 22, 2009 5:38 AM
But if we don't have an Eastside Streercar, how will the tourists visit MLK and Grand?
Because you know the first thing in any tourist guidebook to Portland: visit MLK and Grand!
Posted by Snards | January 22, 2009 6:32 AM
yea baby....get on over to Taboo! the prono place on MLK. And then there is the doggie day care, Miller Paint, the Salvation Army, Hooper House, the day labor site, and Stark's Vacuum store. And Stark's has a vacuum museum too!
Grab a bite at Sheridan Fruit or Burgerville or the bento place and you have had yourself a real taste of Portland!
Posted by portland native | January 22, 2009 10:44 AM
At least this $450,000 didn't get the chance to lobby for streetcars. Unless the bookkeeper leveraged a loan.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/former_trimet_labor_leader_sen.html
Posted by dhughes609 | January 22, 2009 11:37 AM
The consolidation of precincts is probably overdue. The lines of the precincts match what Portland looked like ten/twenty years ago. A lot of the "problem areas" around the 40s have now been sufficiently gentrified; those criminal elements have been displaced further east. As a result, it makes sense to have one management style for that area instead of splitting the enforcement and just creating a police turf war.
Recession is good for government efficiency and consolidation.
Posted by Chris Coyle | January 22, 2009 10:33 PM