The hotel and shopping center door people do a good job keeping their property clear and yeah, there was nobody hanging around outside of Saks and a couple guys would go out and sweep the Hilton property every few minutes. Likewise most of the other places like that, but the public thoroughfares, the Pioneer Square you describe isn't what I see, not to mention every transit stop.
And I dunno, what is aggressive? When they shout at you as you walk by, when they walk up to you, or do they have to put a knife in your gut or something? Sorry, but we couldn't walk a block without encountering one, and often two or three beggars. That's wall to wall in my book.
You were saying ...
Likewise most of the other places like that, but the public thoroughfares, the Pioneer Square you describe isn't what I see, not to mention every transit stop.
The Pioneer Square that I'm talking about (in terms of what I have seen and experienced) is that even if someone does something like riding a bike through it, you will be told by an officer to get off your bike and walk it through. If you look like you're causing any trouble, you will be told to leave and they can photograph you and "86" you from the Square. In fact, the police can "86" people from the entire downtown area -- and they do, too... LOL... (for those of you who don't know this, yes people are "86=ed" from the downtown area by the police, it does happen).
The authorities keep a pretty tight hold on the Portland downtown area, because it's a place where a lot of people and their families come for a variety of things and activities and they want to keep the inner core of the city vibrant and alive.
And I don't see the problem at every transit stop either, or even a significant majority of them or even a minority of them. But, Tri-Met apparently thinks that elimating Fareless Square (primarily in the downtown area) for busses will help eliminate some transient traffic. I don't know if that will make a difference or not, but I guess we'll see... :-)
I don't see it as a problem in the downtown area, however, not from my viewpoint.
But, the City of Portland takes making the downtown area a friendly, clean and safe environment -- a serious concern, as you can see here...
Here's an example of what the police do in downtown Portland to make sure the "environment" is not one that hassles people there in the downtown area and to get rid of troublesome people... :-)
Four plainclothes Central Precinct officers lean against large glass windows on the second floor of a downtown Portland business, two peering through binoculars at street youths gathering below at lunch hour.
A sergeant spots a young man toss his cigarette on the ground at Southwest Sixth Avenue and Yamhill Street and radios to patrol officers: "When it's time to come in, there's a white male with khaki pants, a blue hoodie pullover with white letters, and a dark baseball cap. He'll be good for offensive littering, standing at northeast corner of intersection."
Within 30 minutes, the police spot three transient young men who either tossed cigarettes or paper to the ground. Soon, three unmarked police vehicles, officers on bicycles and mounted patrol swoop in, stunning lunch goers as they arrest each of the men and haul them to jail.
from - Portland police seek new tactics after losing sit-lie law
Also see...
Managing Portland's Downtown Sidewalks
By Sam Adams
THU, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 3:15PM
Nope, the authorities are pretty darned serious in downtown Portland, about that kind of stuff... :-)
And I dunno, what is aggressive? When they shout at you as you walk by, when they walk up to you, or do they have to put a knife in your gut or something?
Aggressive panhandling basically means if someone doesn't accept being turned down (on their panhandling request). And I know this works because I've seen that it's pretty much always this way. If someone asks you for a dime or a quarter or whatever, and you say no, then they'll respect it and move on. That's not being aggressive, in other words not harrassing and haranguing you with repeated requests -- that's what "aggressive" means in Portland.
Just for further reference, the City of Portland and the Police aren't messing around with people who will cause trouble for other citizens who want to enjoy walking around in downtown Portland.
Of all the cities that I've ever been in (in the core downtown areas), I've never seen as high a police presence, watching over things, as I have seen in downtown Portland. And it's been that way for years. They do keep things in order...
If you're a criminal or if you're looking for trouble, that's not a place to be, if you don't want an encounter with the police. But, if you're an average Joe and an ordinary citizen, and/or a family having a nice time in downtown Portland, you'll appreciate all the police presence to keep trouble out of the way... :-)
Portland police seek new tactics after losing sit-lie law
Mark Friedman (left) and Brandon Combs, Central Precinct police officers, keep an eye out near Pioneer Courthouse Square for violations that will give police on the street grounds to make arrests. The stepped-up enforcement is in response to complaints about the growing number of homeless youths who litter, panhandle and intimidate shoppers downtown.
A police officer talks to Cristobal Anzaldua, 34, after he was arrested outside Pioneer Courthouse, at Southwest Sixth Avenue and Yamhill Street, accused of flicking a cigarette on the sidewalk. He faces two counts of offensive littering and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Police also found he faced an outstanding warrant for contempt of court.
Police take Joshua Foley, 20, into custody at Southwest Sixth Avenue and Yamhill Street, accusing him of two counts of offensive littering and possession of a controlled substance, heroin. Police call Wednesday's move against homeless youths "strict order maintenance enforcement." That means they'll be making arrests for any criminal offense, even low-level ones such as littering, spitting in a public place or drinking in public.