Comments

1
The pathetic part is that most newspapers (not the Merc, of course) often fail to hold themselves to the same standards, crafting their own narratives of whimsy and unreality with no hard numbers to back them up.
2
"If anything, it justifies a redoubling our efforts, making it easier and safer for victims to get help and law enforcement to take down criminals."

Then do it Mayor/Police Commissioner. You need the Oregonian's permission or something?
3
Adams is doing his job, promoting local businesses.
4
The "O" piece was a good, well-written article showing Portland wasn't as bad as we were led to believe and how monies were tied into these investigations, etc.
Every case is a tragedy still...
From what I've read I'd answer your questions:
No
How much other police funds would you re-allocate to deal with this?
Hard numbers.

Maybe Adams can get together with former Mayor and Gov. of Oregon Neil Goldshmidt to spearhead a public program to deal with this issue.
Maybe Beau can get in on this too.
5
1. Why don't they arrest/detain the juvenile for prostitution and get a warrant to search her phone/motel room/etc and track down the pimps?

2. Who rides a bike on 82nd? That's dangerous and is probably suspicious enough to make the cops think you are a prostitute.

3. How come the cops have time to pursue things like rousting the homeless, harassing the mentally ill and looking for illegal plants but can't do some basic criminal investigation on this issue?

4. Portland's new motto should be "Public Policy By Convenient Anecdote" and the new motto should be on all letterheads and the city flag. How do you say that in Latin?
6
> How do you say that in Latin?

ut
7
@Number Six -- By commodum publico consilio fabella

Legalize, regulate, taxation, and enforcement are the answers to prostitution. Then we can be proud of Pornlandia. You can see how well they work on job creation in Portland.

Wait does that mean Sam is a Pimp ? Bredlove viewed Sam as his boyfriend.
8
This is so much of what's wrong with politics: ignore truth, ignore facts, the important thing is sensationalism in the service of good intentions and federal money. The ends ALWAYS justify the means in politics. Oh, and hey media, if you don't go along, you're bad, bad people, hate America, and hate Oregon. Ugh.
9
Shouldn't we file Jon Sperry's artwork accompanying this piece under: "minimizes the gravity of Portland's human trafficking problem?"
10
I support Sam, usually, but this is just wrong. It comes across as meaning "Stop reporting news!" Not what a public official at any level should be saying.
11
Questions like 'should we devote city resources to stopping [just/only] one sex crime victim a month' seem like the kind of questions the mayor is saying we need to stop asking. If you start prioritizing which human rights you can afford to protect and which have to fall by the wayside so that Burnside can get a new trolly then you shouldn't get the trolly. Human rights must be protected and this is one of the most basic things we can do as a community, stop child sex slavery. I can't really understand how anyone with a heart/brain combo can argue against it.
12
Also, number six, did you really just call anyone who rides their bike down 82 a prostitute or were you being facetious?
13
@ C: I was in fact joking, but the police theory would be that riding a bicyle, like not riding a bicycle, is an indication of prostitution activities on 82nd. Kind of the same way that wearing tight or loose clothes is an indication. Or looking at cars or looking away from cars etc etc... From a review of the news articles about these cases it appears that everything and anything about you indicates you are a prostitute to people getting special funding to find prostitutes. (See for instance: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.s… ) You get bizarre cases like the Selby case for adults but for some reason these child sex trafficking victims/delinquents just get released if they don't want to talk to the cops?

However, I still strongly maintain that you'd have to have very good health insurance and a decent helmet before riding on 82nd on a bicycle was even a remotely good idea.

Also, no one is arguing against stopping child sex slavery - we in the 'critics' column (and I include the author of the post, though I don't want to speak for the author) are just wondering if a) it actually is occuring in this city and if so, b)why the police can't investigate it and track it like so many other crimes. There is always a choice in the allocation of resources (shall we hire a police officer to follow each child in the country around 24-7?) to protect people. That's why when the Mayor says that there are no numbers or stats and we should just do what he says cause he heard this one thing one time we should be very cautious. So no one is arguing against it. If it is happening, stop it and show us that you are prosecuting these pimps. If it is happening and yet there are no investigations, arrests and prosecutions then we have a larger problem that the Mayor is serving to cover up.
14
"That's why when the Mayor says that there are no numbers or stats and we should just do what he says cause he heard this one thing one time we should be very cautious."

Obviously they should start patrolling band camp.

Please wait...

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