PORTLAND, Ore. — A sliver of Tuesday morning sunlight exposed the graffiti-covered walls of a vacant building on Southwest 4th Avenue and Washington Street. The abandoned façade of Washington Center in downtown Portland has attracted drug users who feel equally ignored.
“The addicts are going to be around this area … this block has given people a place to go,” said one man who told KGW that he uses drugs on this block.
It’s one of the reasons the Portland Police Bureau is now patrolling the block 24/7 on foot — all part of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s latest attempt to curb what he calls “extreme conditions” there, such as open-air drug use and overdoses.
The dynamic here is something Antonio, who's suffering from a drug addiction, knows all to well.
“I don’t know if you can tell by the structures in my face or not, I’m an addict," he said. "Downtown ain’t no game right now. People are out here losing their lives every single day … we’re living in hell every single day.”
Late last month, Portland Police responded to at least 11 overdoses centering on this block, all within the space of a weekend. Three people died.
And last week, KGW met a young man who'd overdosed on fentanyl that same weekend but was revived by police with multiple doses of Narcan.
“We’re holding our homeboys and our homegirls and they’re dying in front of us,” said Antonio.
He said he’s lost more friends than he can count from drug overdoses in downtown Portland.
“It makes the police look like they’re not doing a f------ thing,” he said, pointing to three officers circling the block Tuesday morning.
Portland police told KGW that they patrol the area, only to find drug dealers move in right after they leave. Reporter Blair Best spoke with the three nearby officers on Tuesday, who said that if they see people using illegal drugs, they check to see if they have an active warrant and arrest them if they do. Otherwise, per Measure 110, they give them a warning or citation.
“They jam people up, they run our names when we have petty warrants, and they take us to jail,” said Antonio, who doesn’t see that as a long-term solution. “There needs to be more services. All they tell you is to go to treatment. They’re not really educating people on why we hurt, where the hurt comes from.”
While the police patrols Tuesday kept the block clear of tents and drug use, that activity migrated across the street. It was a similar outcome to the city’s homeless camp removal process.
“They’re not doing anything for us … It’s caused us to come into one area because we have nowhere else to go,” said Iridessa, who’s homeless.
The increased police presence is getting praise from the owners of the vacant building, known as Washington Center. A spokesperson for the property told KGW it has created an “immediate positive impact in the area.” It also caught the attention of Governor Tina Kotek at a press conference earlier this week.
“We are trying to add more officers to the training programs and making sure there are the resources when folks are experiencing overdose. It's unacceptable to have that type of open-air activity in our major city,” Gov. Kotek said.
But it's more resources that Portland’s drug users say they need need. Antonio said he feels abandoned in broad daylight — just like the building he flocks to.
“We’re hurting, and we see that nobody gives a care about us ... so it’s like, why should we care about ourselves?” he asked.
It’s not clear how long the patrols will last. There’s also talk of the city boarding up certain alcoves around the building.
