PORTLAND, Ore. — Multnomah County has added to its security at public buildings such as libraries.
In April, the county entered into a $40 million five-year contract with InterCon, which will pay for the deployment of 170 security officers. That’s a big uptick from 2021, when a county spokesperson said Multnomah County had 52 security guards patrolling specific buildings every day.
KGW reached out to Multnomah County officials for an interview. Though they declined the request, they sent a statement saying that since the pandemic, the county has seen unprecedented incidents of violence and behavioral health crises in libraries, health clinics and emergency shelters.
Some homeless residents spending the day at the Central Library downtown on Tuesday believe the additional security will be beneficial.
"Here, it means that I'm safe, and they're going to handle it if something gets out of hand," said Bizmati Heflin, who is homeless in Portland.
Heflin said the security guards at the Central Library treat him well. Currently, only unarmed InterCon guards are patrolling at county buildings, a county spokesperson said. However, InterCon could bring in armed security if needed.
"See, that would be detrimental," said Ryan Kraft, another homeless individual at the Central Library. "I think it's definitely a step too far."
A spokesperson for Multnomah County libraries said library security guards are not armed and will not be armed.
Regardless, some downtown business owners are in favor of the increased security.
"Well, I think it's good,” Troy Berry, co-owner of 10th Avenue Liquor, said. “Anything that ensures, improves, enhances public safety — you know, I'm all for it."
Over the past couple of months, Berry said he has seen safety improvements in the areas around the Central Library, which recently became a hotspot for drug use. Still, he thinks there’s a long way to go before more people start coming back downtown.
“Right now, I’m in a wait-and-see process,” Berry said.
There have been other recent measures to make downtown safer, including increased patrol from Portland Police around the Central Library. In the past three years, a Multnomah County spokesperson said they have also established a 24/7 Security Operations Center to enhance safety and security.