Portland and it's crime. (violent crime, how much, neighborhood)

[101flyboy]

OK, so I'm from Richmond VA, but I have friends in Portland I was planning on potentially meeting. I thought Portland was a very safe, ecletic type place that is open-minded and chill.

But, lately, I keep reading story after story of hate crimes in Portland, which is weird to me because I always assumed that Portland was a liberal place. Heck, even in VA, I see gay couples regularly, and there is no issue. I thought Portland was similar to Seattle socially, but am I wrong?

Also, I'm reading other stories of attacks and violent crime and drug situations happening in the city, and how people feel the streets have been taken over by trash.

So, I just wanted to ask out of curiosity, is Portland a safe place to be? Is it truly an open-minded place? And what is being done to curb these constant attacks?

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by 101flyboy

OK, so I'm from Richmond VA, but I have friends in Portland I was planning on potentially meeting. I thought Portland was a very safe, ecletic type place that is open-minded and chill.

It is all of that.

Originally Posted by 101flyboy

But, lately, I keep reading story after story of hate crimes in Portland, which is weird to me because I always assumed that Portland was a liberal place.

Really? Could you link some? Not saying there aren't any, but... story after story? Hmmmm.

[Nell Plotts]

Portland isn't an unsafe community. The City puts crime stats out there for all to see: CrimeStats and Neighborhood Crime Statistics

[101flyboy]

I read the numbers, I just wanted a first-hand description of Portland and what it's about, because I'm sort of getting mixed signals from what I thought/heard the city was like, and what's been going on.

As for the hate crimes, Leisesturm, you can google them up but there have been like 6 in 1 1/2 months and in general I've read some people upset about how the streets are taken over by trash, who I guess are generally on drugs, and young punks.

[hamellr]

I posted a link late last week about the increase in gang violence in Portland.

Portland Gang Violence

I don't think this drastically changes how "dangerous" Portland is though, but there is a definite upwards trend over the past year or two. How much of that can be attributed to economic pressures is an exercise for someone with more time and knowledge then myself.

[Nell Plotts]

I was recently in Seattle. They too have had a resurgance of gang shootings. These people move up and down I-5 and settle scores where ever the 'other' happens to be.

[khyron]

Long time Richmond native here, lived in the city (and I mean the city, not some Short Pump la-la land) for over a decade and spent the majority of that right in the middle of Shockoe Bottom (watched the feds raid Velvet from my window). I should also add that I loved Richmond, and still consider it my favorite place in the entire American south.

I would not characterize Portland as you're describing from a few news stories. Come visit and see for yourself. It's a city, it's got crime problems and cop problems and drug problems like any other city but as far as American ones go I feel extremely safe here...MUCH moreso than any part of Richmond especially late at night.

Chill out, put down the sensational headlines and do some research. You'll find a lot more to complain about in the Pacific Northwest's weather or cultural trends than anything to do with it's relative amounts of gang warfare or meth labs.

Also remember, one of the reasons you even see news stories about problems is that somebody actually cares about them, and therefore a profit motive exists to report on them. Take a look back a couple decades into Richmond history before Exile, before blogs and the web, before the VCU gentrification of Broad Street, and see how much the (all owned by one company) TV and newspaper media there ever reported about it being one of the murder capitals of the country.

[ParadiseFalls]

I moved to Portland from Florida, and I've also lived in Pennsylvania and New York, and I feel totally safe. I hardly lock my car (a bad idea, I know, but I'm just saying). People here joke about the "bad" areas because they hardly exist and are still so much safer than other cities.

Also, Portland is the most accepting place I have ever been in my life. You hear about these hate crimes because they're so out of the norm. It's funny to me that someone would even be concerned about prejudice in Portland. I go out with my gay friends all the time and have never heard a bad word spoken.

But no responses are going to convince you the way just coming here would.

[ParadiseFalls]

Originally Posted by khyron

chill out, put down the sensational headlines and do some research. You'll find a lot more to complain about in the pacific northwest's weather or cultural trends than anything to do with it's relative amounts of gang warfare or meth labs.

Also remember, one of the reasons you even see news stories about problems is that somebody actually cares about them, and therefore a profit motive exists to report on them. Take a look back a couple decades into richmond history before exile, before blogs and the web, before the vcu gentrification of broad street, and see how much the (all owned by one company) tv and newspaper media there ever reported about it being one of the murder capitals of the country.

+1