PORTLAND, Ore. — The SmartPark garage at Southwest 4th Avenue and Yamhill Street was busy Tuesday. Among the drivers pulling in was Sam Klausen, but she said leaving her car in the garage gave her some anxiety due to what happened only a month ago.
"I parked my car on the fifth floor and I came back to my car and the back window had been smashed out," she said. "Very frustrating."
Other drivers pulling in Tuesday said they hadn't personally had bad experiences at the city-owned and operated garage, but they've still grown worried about parking there. Kerri Pellow said she was nervous.
"What's going to happen when I come back to my car?" she asked. "I see the signs in there saying smash and grab, make sure you lock your car, make sure nothing is visible. I'm like 'oh my gosh, it doesn't feel safe.'"
Portland's SmartPark garages are increasingly dealing with drug use problems, and they've become common places for the houseless to sleep — not to mention the rampant smash-and-grab thefts. One man who patrols the garages told KGW thieves are now destroying the building lights in order to make it darker and easier to break into cars.
None of this is sitting well with the city. A spokesperson for the Portland Bureau of Transportation said the agency is spending between $2.5 million and $2.7 million to beef up security in the SmartPark garages. The money will go toward the hiring of 10 new security guards. They, along with four others already on contract, will patrol the five SmartPark garages in Downtown Portland — including one that is temporarily closed.
"We see the people using the garages as customers, and like any business downtown, we're spending money to create a sense of security and make sure people feel safe," said Hannah Schafer with PBOT.
The gesture is very much appreciated by those who use the garages.
"That would be great," Pellow said. "I'd like that."
"That sounds great," Klausen added, saying that the last thing she wants is for what happened to her to happen to somebody else. "I'd love to have more security for parking downtown."