Ongoing vandalism discourages business owners in downtown Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — After moving from Portland's Old Town to downtown, Wyatt Savage was hopeful the level of crime wouldn't be quite so severe. But the owner at Pallet Portland is now considering a move to escape the ongoing challenges.

"In three months I’ve had four windows smashed, I’ve had somebody try and rip the front door of our gate off the hinges and it’s just been non-stop," Savage said.

Savage said he's added tools in an effort to slow down break-ins, like wooden boards and gates, but the business owner said the financial implications are getting harder to ignore.

"Even if we were all making tons of sales, with the amount of damages happening, you know, 40 thousand dollars in damages in four months is insane. Like, that’s a lot of money to just come up with," Savage said.

Kamelah Adams brought her business to Old Town in 2021. She decided to move all sales online after a robbery this summer and is now evaluating where to go next.

"To experience vandalism and robberies and burglaries it can be too much sometimes, and I do know that I’m not alone because I’ve talked to other retailers and there’s not enough support for retail at all," Adams said.

The owner at Mimi's Fresh Ts said other retailers have invited her to join them outside Portland.

"To be honest, I don’t even want to go out to the suburbs. I want downtown to work. I love downtown, I really do, and I was born and raised here in Portland," Adams said.

KATU News reached out to city leaders to share these concerns. Mayor Wheeler's office responded with a statement.

"Mayor Wheeler has assigned dedicated staff on his team that work to connect local businesses impacted by vandalism to resources and repairs more quickly. Mayor Wheeler is tracking these incidents closely and wants those who are committing vandalism to be arrested and prosecuted," they said.

Commissioner Mingus Mapps' office responded with a statement as well.

"Commissioner Mapps supports all past, present, and future efforts that the Mayor and his bureaus have made to keep businesses in Portland. He also supports the Police in arresting people who are committing these crimes," they said.

KATU did not hear back from Portland Police, or the other city commissioners.