Advocates Claim City-Paid Security Firm Harassing Homeless, Seizing Property

Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Brendan Murray, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Homeless advocates in Portland told GoLocal on Monday that members of Clean and Safe Portland, a security firm paid by the City of Portland, the Portland Business Alliance and local businesses to keep homeless people from causing issues in the area, are harassing and seizing property from homeless individuals.

Ibrahim Mubarek, an activist and the organizer of Right2DreamToo, a homeless camp located in downtown Portland, told GoLocal that homeless people at the camp and across the city have been harassed by security personnel repeatedly.

“They are going around harassing people when they sweep them off the street,” Mubarek said. “They are harassing them and then taking their belongings from them and putting them in storage. The problem is you can only get property out of storage if it’s labeled and you have ID. These people are not labeling their stuff and a lot do not have ID, so they cannot get it back.”

Mixed Messages

Mubarek also said that city officials, including Mayor Charlie Hales’ Chief of Staff Josh Alpert, told organizers at the homeless camp they would not be conducting sweeps during the colder months.

“They told me they were not going to sweep people off the street in the Winter time,” Mubarek said. “Josh Alpert told me that. They say you they have to clean the sidewalks and move people. Where can they go? They already found a safe space. Let them stay there.”

Clean and Safe operates the “Clean and Safe District” a “a 213-block area of downtown and is one of the oldest, largest and most successful business improvement districts in the nation,” according to their website. 

They are contracted by the Portland Business Alliance and local business to “provide neighborhood improvement, including cleaning, security, community justice services, market research, and retail advocacy,” according to their website. The are also publically funded by the City of Portland.

Ibrahim Mubarek; via Right2DreamToo

“Houseless Folks are Getting Harassed”

Mubarek said that Alpert told him that homeless people would be allowed to stay on the sidewalks overnight during the winter.

“The shelters are overcrowded,” Mubarek said. “He [Alpert] said that they would be allowed to stay on the sidewalks from 10 PM to 8 AM.”

Ptery P. Lieght, a homeless advocate, told GoLocal he plans to address the issue at the Portland City Council meeting on Wednesday. Light’s address to the City Council is currently scheduled as the first item on the agenda for this Wednesday, November 25.

“Clean and Safe is still harassing folks and taking their stuff,” Lieght said. “We all need to not bully our neighbors. People in housing have the same problems that people without houses do.”

“They’re Being Real Slick About It”

Mubarek also said that so far, he is frustrated with how the issue has been handled.

“What I don’t like about what they’re doing is, they’re being real slick about it,” Mubarek said. “They told us they would not do these sweeps during the winter, but now they say they need to keep things safe. They harass people and take their things. These people should not have to label their things. They should not get them taken at all.”

Lieght agreed.

“Houseless folks are getting harassed,” Lieght said. “The city is trying to address a problem without respecting the person blamed for the problem.”

Clean and Safe Response

Valerie Cunningham, a spokeswoman for Clean and Safe and director of communications for the Portland Business Alliance, did not comment allegations of harassment. In a statement on Clean and Safe’s operations, Cunningham told GoLocal the company sometimes force encampments to move from spaces on the sidewalk.

“Downtown Clean & Safe officers provides regular cleaning services within its  every morning and if there is anything left on the streets or in other public areas that appears to be abandoned or unclaimed, the officers will remove it at the direction of the Portland Police,” Cunningham said. “Individuals camping on sidewalks or other public spaces within the district may be asked to move during business hours to facilitate the flow of pedestrian traffic and to allow downtown businesses to more easily open and operate.”

Josh Alpert did not respond to multiple requests for comment.