Saturday, August 2, 2008

WELCOME & please help us...

Hello all this is our first entry to our groups' blog - so
welcome + a big thank you for visiting, please join us and get active. Feel free to post comments, give suggestions, send articles, links, photos that you would like us to post.

We originally met for the first time a few weeks ago on July 15th in one of our neighbor's living room - all of us concerned about the growing & blatant criminal activity we see happening on our streets daily. Primarily our inital focus is the blatant increase in prostitution - we see it not only on 82nd Avenue, but it is affecting all of the surrounding neighborhoods, especially our schools and parks - discarded condoms and needles are constantly found in these areas. Unfortunately 82nd Avenue has become know as "Portland's Red Light District" to the johns + pimps, as one neighbor was recently told by local law enforcement. This avenue is a key artery that all of the surrounding Neighborhood Associations must focus on not only with regards to crime, but also the focus of "revitalization"- new + needed businesses - Trader Joes, etc. However first we must deal with and address the crime that is damaging our livability and safety.

We as residents on Montavilla and Mount Tabor have seen a sharp increase in prostiution ever since the Prostitution Free Zone (PFZ) ordinance was lifted on Sept 27, 2007. We are asking that the PFZ be reinstated & we have created a petition & we urge you to help us gather signatures. We don't want this problem to get worse - please read this compelling letter to The Oregonian by Brian Wong a fellow resident who took action & started the Montavilla Foot Patrol in response to the growing & blatant crime in our neighborhoods.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for organizing!
We have seen an extreme increase in crime in our neighborhood especially with regards to prostitution.

What we know based on stats is that Drug Free Zones and, presumably, Prostitution Free Zones (since the PFZ was not research by the Mayor/city) may not solve the problem of drug use and prostitution. They do help citizens reclaim their neighborhoods, however, and that in itself is a solution to the problems plaguing many in our city.

If making an area safer and more liveable aren't the purpose of these ordinances, I don't know what is. If years of experience and statistics aren't showing that these ordinances are helping to keep these problems in check in areas where they'd otherwise run rampant (which is now happening), then the Mayor is blind. And if he thinks abolishing these statutes entirely is taking a step towards solving our communities problems, then he's a darn fool. Sam Adams please help us - I don't want to move but I am sick of picking up used condoms in front of my house.

THANK YOU MONTAVILLA IN ACTION!!!

Ron and Carol said...

Story posted on KGW.com website. What can one say. This is what we have been worried about and maybe has happened before. Was he a John or a pimp?

Fatal stabbing at 82nd and Morrison

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_081608_news_prostitution_stabbing.3809e0f.html


Fight over prostitution leads to fatal stabbing

02:06 PM PDT on Saturday, August 16, 2008

By ADRIANE HORNER, kgw.com Staff

A man who flagged down police after being stabbed on Friday night, died from his injuries on Saturday.

22-year-old Christopher Darrell Richardson died after he was stabbed Friday night near S.E. 82nd Ave in Portland.

Police said that 22-year-old Christopher Darrell Richardson flagged them down around 8:15 p.m. Friday near S.E. 82nd Avenue and S.E. Morrison Street.

Richardson had been stabbed in the chest and was taken to OHSU for treatment where he later died.

The suspect, 19-year-old Donyel Hormats was still at the scene and was taken into custody.

Homicide investigators said that the victim and suspect had been involved in an altercation for several days. They believe that the fight involved prostitution activity.

19-year-old Donyel Hormats was arrested at the scene of the stabbing.

Hormats has a history of arrests for prostitution.