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It’s no secret that Portland, Oregon, and crime are a match made in hell.
Unfortunately, people are only now seemingly waking up to the long-term consequences of perpetual crime, which is coming at a cost to some business owners’ livelihoods.
One clothing store in the city, Rains PDX, felt that they had no other choice but to shut down to protect their employees.
In a harrowing letter posted on its storefront door, the business outlined its grievances with the area’s chaos.
“But, due to the constant, and unrelenting, criminal behavior, coupled with escalating safety issues for our employees, we have decided to permanently close,” the letter said, according to a tweet from KATU reporter Megan Allison.
“Our city is in peril,” the letter added.
The letter also accused the government of inaction on criminal matters, especially when it comes to supporting victims of property crime.
“Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business, in our city’s current state. We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We have sustained 15 break-ins … we have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd.”
The owner at Rains tells me after five break-ins in about three weeks, she made the sudden decision to permanently close. Staff here are putting pressure on the city to look after small businesses dealing with ongoing challenges with crime. pic.twitter.com/XyP2p6PR6W
— Megan Allison (@mallisonKATU) November 26, 2022
The owner of Rains PDX, Marcy Landolfo, has been doing interviews with several outlets about her decision, and rightfully so. Her business has been reportedly broken into repeatedly, so who can blame her for being outspoken?
“Those break-ins are not covered by insurance, because insurance drops you,” Landolfo told NewsNation’s “Prime.”
“So it’s, it’s a double-edged sword of what’s happening, and you just have to decide when you’ve had enough.”
Portland leadership seems complacent with this, despite law enforcement at least seemingly trying to sound the alarm on the issue. The Portland Police Bureau revealed that while property crimes have increased in recent years, there were only 36 arrests made in 2021 out of 5,000 “reports,” according to Fox 12. However, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell mentioned in the Fox 12 report that as violent crimes, such as shootings, are up, it’s difficult for things like property crime to all be taken in.
And to nobody’s surprise, the community’s hostility toward police, especially by activists, has contributed to the overall sorry state of affairs in Portland. The police department is having staffing issues, as many departments across the county are.
It should be considered unacceptable to city leaders that any store would feel compelled to close its doors as a safety measure. Cities are always going to have their issues, except there’s a line between awareness and having to constantly live in fear.
Other businesses will probably follow the lead of Rains PDX, even if they’re not as outspoken about it. The failure of urban areas to get a grip on crime and not be at the mercy of political actors is making the average person suffer. Property crime is a serious issue, and it does snowball into having economic consequences. The mentality that insurance will supposedly take care of these issues, or the false assumption that the victims are always going to be rich and powerful, is flat-out asinine.
Portland and other cities have an obligation to protect their citizens, and nobody should ever have to sacrifice their safety in order to go to work.
