October 7th Event @PCC SE Campus

Press Release from Montavilla Neighborhood Assoc:
"TAKE BACK 82nd"Town Hall Series scheduled for Oct 7th

(Portland, OR) – Citing common frustration with rampant prostitution up and down 82nd Avenue, neighborhood leaders from the north end of the thoroughfare at NE Killingsworth to the south end at the Clackamas County line have joined forces together, and have collaboratively developed a two-part town-hall meeting series to educate residents and business on how to combat this growing problem. This citizen-driven town hall series will strive to create understanding of the root causes of prostitution and what community members can do to fight it at an individual, street, neighborhood and city level.

The next meeting will take place on October 7th at PCC-Southeast Center located at SE 82nd and Division.

There will be a Press Conference Prior to the Public Event at 6pm with Melissa Farley of the San Francisco based group - Prostitution Research and Jeri Williams from the City of Portland. Both speakers will speak to the media & be able to answer Q&A afterwards.

Please check out Melissa's latest research on prosecuting the johns here.

The main event will take place from 6:30-8:30pm at PCC-Southeast Center located at SE 82nd and Division, and will feature Jeri Williams from the City of Portland and Melissa Farley of Prostitution Research as key note speakers. A hands-on breakout session will focus on the development of action steps and sharing of resources and tools that have been effective in deterring prostitution. Interactive breakout groups to focus on:

Law Enforcement & Community Policing
The Prostitutes Experience
The John's Experience
Other Communities Examples
Environmental Design & Crime Prevention
Judicial & Government Response
Faith Community Response
Political Advocacy

The idea for a "Take Back 82nd" summit evolved both within the Montavilla Neighborhood Association and the Save NE 82nd Avenue Coalition almost simultaneously, and the groups came together to develop agendas for the town hall that will include panelists, breakouts and goal-oriented work groups.

The purpose of the "Take Back 82nd" summit is to encourage neighbors and concerned citizens to come together to find community solutions. Ideas and feedback generated from both meetings will be compiled into a report distributed to Portland City Council, city officials and neighborhood leaders to create a tools to empower people to step up to combat prostitution.

Neighborhood leaders all agree that they all share a common purpose and passion for preserving neighborhood livability, and see curbing prostitution as a key factor in taking neighborhoods back from criminal activity.