Portland??? (Detroit: for sale, apartment, rent)

[cjski21]

Hello,
I am currently a police officer in Las Vegas Nevada. I am looking at taking a position with the Multnomah Sheriff Department. I miss the rain and the Pacific Northwest (lived in Washington for a while). My wife misses the Ocean but we can't afford California. The Desert is great but it is just too dry and hot. Mountain biking in 120 degree temps is brutal. Vegas has become Eastern LA and the cost of living is reflecting this. I am very unfamiliar with Portland and have a few questions.

Some honest opinions of Portland would be great (good and bad). I do not even have a clue where to start looking for living arrangements. I heard you pay taxes on everything except sales up there, true? What is the reputation of the department according to it's citizens?

Thanks for the help.

[gypsydoc]

Hmmm Where to start. When you spend some time looking through the posts here, I'm sure you'll get some idea of the passion people feel both for this place and sometimes not for it. Depending on what you want for living arrangement, you can begin by checking out craigslist classifieds: jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, events, forums to get a feel of home/apartment prices... You can do searches for neighborhoods in Portland and get all kinds of information on them.

I live in Multnomah County.. and I know that the Police are working really hard to keep as much peace as possible. I have seen a couple potential altercations avoided because the police involved stayed calm, peaceful, unruffled in the face of some really out of control citizens. For that I commend them. Of course, they are not always successful, but I have generally been grateful that there are officers of the law. They may not get the respect they deserve all the time, but they provide a tremendous service.

I hope you get a chance to visit for a few days before you move here, just to get the feel of the place. There are plenty of places that I think you would enjoy very much.

Are you planning on buying or renting? Are schools a consideration? Do you have a home to sell before moving here? Will there be other family members working, and if so, how close to work would you each like to be?

Hope it all goes well...

Here, you'll find lots of people driving around with bikes, kayaks, canoes, camping gear on their cars.

[deegers]

I fellow Henderson resident!

I did a search within the forum on taxes in Portland and found several of them to be useful. If you need help figuring that out, let me know, but I'm sure you are a veteran at working with that.

I too am feeling the same way about this valley. Too hot and too dusty. Considering Portland as well. So I can relate to your desire to get out of here. Good luck on your search!

[Nell Plotts]

Multnomah County Officers spend most of their time in East County (where there is more unincorporated area) or dealing with County prisoners.

The nature of the force I am sure has changed over the years... 20 years ago it was known as the first social worker on the scene. They required a college degree in an era when some wondered if the Portland force finished high school (the Portland force doesn't have that problem today).

Finding a place to live in east Multnomah County will probably be wise. If you locate near the MAX you can use it to commute to the Court House if you are assigned there.

[roneb]

Despite some controversy surrounding the Mult. Co. Sheriff himself, the force itself has always had a good reputation. If you've lived in western WA, then you're already familier with the weather, so won 't be surprised by the gray winters.

[Nell Plotts]

Originally Posted by roneb

Despite some controversy surrounding the Mult. Co. Sheriff himself, the force itself has always had a good reputation.

Agree. The Officers I have met were nice people.

Funny story: When talking to jail management years ago I asked what experience correlated with success as a Corrections Officer. The answer: "Child care in a day care facility." Figures.

[John Shaft]

Yes, Oregon has an income tax but no sales tax. The income tax is somewhat graduated but you hit 9% fairly quickly.

For its size, I am surprised by the general lack of crime in the PDX area. A lot of it is due to the general decency of the residents, but I'd expect some credit ought to go to law enforcement.

That being said...and this is just my opinion...but there is a sizeable number of folk here who are downright distrustful/resentful of the police. Every time an officer is involved in a shooting there are a thousand protesters yelling that the officer should have given the shooting victim cotton candy and sang the victim lullabyes. I have no idea of the percentages of these people--they likely are still a tiny fraction of the population--but it's a more vocal group than I have experienced anywhere else. Just wanted to prep you for the hostility you might experience even from otherwise decent law-abiding folks.

And the overwhelming opinion here is that the Multnomah County sheriff is corrupt and a scumbag, but he will (may) be retiring next year anyway.

[illinoisboy]

Originally Posted by John Shaft

For its size, I am surprised by the general lack of crime in the PDX area. A lot of it is due to the general decency of the residents, but I'd expect some credit ought to go to law enforcement.

I had found the people of Portland to be the nicest big-city people I had ever encountered! I hope it stays that way.

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by John Shaft

That being said...and this is just my opinion...but there is a sizeable number of folk here who are downright distrustful/resentful of the police. Every time an officer is involved in a shooting there are a thousand protesters yelling that the officer should have given the shooting victim cotton candy and sang the victim lullabyes. I have no idea of the percentages of these people--they likely are still a tiny fraction of the population--but it's a more vocal group than I have experienced anywhere else. Just wanted to prep you for the hostility you might experience even from otherwise decent law-abiding folks.

Pretty accurate, I'd say. Unfortunately, I believe people's attitudes are colored by the newspapers out here, which are notoriously ill-informed and liberal - I'm pretty sensible (I refuse to say I'm liberal!!) myself, and don't even read the Oregonian anymore because of its near daily misinformation. (And that's where most people get their info on the sheriff, btw) The media here are not supportive of law enforcement.

Are you planning on working in the jail? If not, you might try a job with Portland Police. Just a thought. Consider that several deputies have been "grandfathered" into Portland Police, because of Multnomah county budget cuts, jail closings and losing patrol ground to other agencies. You've probably already checked this out, so it may not even be noteworthy...

Other the years I've found Multnomah County officers to be extremely competent, professional and very well-educated. If you get stationed in east Multnomah County - lucky you!!!

I've only spent limited time in LV (@UNLV), and couldn't wait to get back to Portland! You will love it here - .

Best of luck with your job search!

[cjski21]

Thanks for the replies. It would be nice to live in a city with mass transit. I grew up in Detroit riding the busses to school and later in Chicago riding the train, so I am no stranger there. A bus token or a train pass sure is cheaper than a tank of gas nowadays. I am a cop in souther Nevada, so every time I confront someone, I hear the people around me shouting and egging on the subject. A lot of tension between police and citizens here. It sounds like the county has a reputable force, so that will be very nice. We may have to live in Vancuver tho so my wife can finish school (only school locally with a Business Comm. program). Does mass transit go there?

The income tax is no adjustment at all, it seems like it evens out with the lack of sales tax (7.75% here in Clark County). I am planning a trip to Portland this summer to talk more with the department and scope out the area. Thanks for the replies. It will be really exciting to see rain again. Don't get to much of that here in LV.

No children and we rent so we are pretty much free to do whatever as far as that goes. She works in Hospitality and is a Concierge here (5 star/ 5 Diamond resort), hopefully the Vegas experience will pull some weight with a high end property in Portland.

Thanks to all for the comments. It sure will be nice to see trees and green again. Plus the ocean is nearby.

I have not considered the Police Bureau, my degree and expertise are in corrections.