PORTLAND, Ore. — A new survey of Portland's brick-and-mortar small businesses suggests that while more consumers are returning to physical stores, their operators want "new and immediate crime mitigation efforts" in order to remain viable.
To that end, the survey, of 113 small business owners, revealed that 63% have been broken into or vandalized in the past 18 months. A full 17% said such acts have occurred five times or more while another 10% said they've experienced at least $10,000 worth of related damage.
The activity has led some businesses — like Tamale Boy — to either relocate or consider moving their base out of the city.
The We Are Here January 2022 survey, backed by Portland's Bricks Need Mortars advocacy group, suggests a few mitigating measures, including redirecting Portland transportation bureau resources toward helping police with crime investigations and investing in nightly patrols.
Business-wise, the survey found that 80% of the small enterprises surveyed conducted 70%-plus of their 2021 business in their stores, a sharp increase over 2020.
Read the full story at the Portland Business Journal.