Thursday, August 14, 2008

Leaders of Our City - please listen & help us

In yesterday's Willamette Week - there was 1 page article about the blatant rise in the crime of prostitution along 82nd Ave and how our city is "dealing with it.

Some key highlights of the article:
"Last month, Sizer told Potter that she wanted to bring back a prostitution-free zone along Northeast and Southeast 82nd Avenue to battle a rise in streetwalkers on a strip otherwise known for its Chinese restaurants, low-rent motels, strip malls and used-car lots."

Thank you Chief Sizer for realizing what has happened in a very short time since the PFZ was lifted. Chief Sizer's officers are on the front line and see how quickly prostitution has taken over & formed roots on the Avenue since the the PFZ was lifted. She & her officers deal with us the neighbors daily and see how our safety & especially how our childrens' safety is affected. The PFZ needs to be reinstated to stem the crime & safety issues. Mr. Leonard's larger plan will no doubt take a while to come into being. We are still waiting on the 57 beds that were promised as a "solution" of lifting the ordinances last Sept. We urge Mr. Leonard & Mayor Potter (perhaps it should be Mayor-elect Sam Adams that is analyzing & spearheading because of the upcoming transition?)to truly listen & collaborate with Chief Sizer.

"Potter called a meeting in his office last Thursday, Aug. 7, after it became clear Leonard and Sizer were at odds on the issue. With Myers’ help, Leonard says he persuaded Potter and the other cops present to try his way. But Potter deferred the final decision to Sizer, who was not at the meeting."

We ask that our city try not to reinvent the wheel but look at how other big cities deal with the crime of prostitution - do not treat it the same way you treat crimes reagrding drugs - it is very different. At the heart of it is affecting the "demand" the johns. If the johns knew there was going to be tougher laws would that help as a deterrent? “John schools”, higher impound fees, posting johns online, what if they have to do work crew - pick up the used condoms/needles in our school yards, or in the parking lot of businesses/churches that we deal with daily, literally clean up 82nd? What if all of the Local Biz's signed Trespass Agreements put signs in their windows, united in this - would this help, etc - these are all bigger discussions that need to start now.
However at the heart of it should be the safety of the residents of this city and that is why the PFZ needs to be instated immediately.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

We completely agree. Mr. Leonard made all of these promises when the city let the ordinances expire last Sept. He is not a police officer - he had recently our law enforcement focusing on duct tape.
Huh?!?!?!

We hope that Mr. Sam Adams does not let Potter & Leonard dictate on matters such as these & since Mayor Potter is on his way out.

Sam needs to realize to make Chief Sizer's POV heard.

Also let us not forget Mr. Leonard in early 2003, voted against a resolution proposed by Commissioner Erik Sten urging Bush to stay out of Iraq. At the time, Leonard said "he felt the same injustice as many around the world over the events of Sept. 11, 2001."

HUH??? Even my 10 year old nephew knew at the time that back in 2003 there was NO CONNECTION between Iraq and 9/11.

Wow, we are sure glad Randy is now going to try to reinvent the wheel know & solve the world's oldest profession. While the citizens that he is supposed to represent are going to have to still have their safety compromised, their school teachers have to do a check of the playgrounds for used condoms & needles - while he know solves everything with 57 beds is that in addition to the 14 we are still waiting on from last year.

We're moving to San Fran where Mayor Newson dealas with crime & treats it as such and in a city more liberal that pdx.

The Farrell Family.

Anonymous said...

We agree too. First and foremost this is a crime, a crime that is now affect the daily safety of residents lives. It doesn't take a highly paid researcher to realize that since the PFZ is gone it has allowed this crime to grow and flourish. Bring it back - even temporarily until all of these other solutions happen.

PLEASE do not put Mr. Leonard in charge of the police. That does not even make sense.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU ROSIE!!!

Please help them realize that the PFZ was working and that other tools should be created in addition to the PFZ.

This has been an absolute disgrace our summer days and nights have been filled with chasing away johns & prostitutes off of our residential streets, cleaning up used condoms in our playgrounds.

HELP US, please.

Anonymous said...

YAY ROSIE!!!!

Maybe you'll be able to focus on crime & not duct tape.