Mayor touts crime drop around overnight shelters
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
City officials point to new data showing crime drops near two Portland shelters as evidence the facilities improve safety — but some nearby residents remain unconvinced.
Why it matters: The placement of homeless shelters is a persistent source of tension in Portland, fueling debates among city officials, service providers and local residents.
Zoom in: The Portland Police Bureau analyzed crime committed within 1,000 feet of two sites: Moore Street Shelter in North Portland and the Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter (SAFES) in Old Town.
- The report compares crime rates for the six months before and after the shelters opened in January.
By the numbers: Crime near the SAFES site dropped 2.5% after it opened, with a 17.5% decrease in person crimes (assault, robbery) and a 4.3% drop in property crimes.
- Society crimes (drug possession, weapons charges) rose 53%, a jump officials link in part to drug recriminalization in August 2024.
- At the Moore Street site, overall crime fell 12.5%, with a 9.5% dip in person crimes and a 12.2% drop in property crimes.
What they're saying: "These findings support what we've long believed. Sheltering people indoors not only provides stability for our most vulnerable neighbors, but also helps create safer neighborhoods," Mayor Keith Wilson said in a written statement.
- "Portland is working hard to compassionately enhance community safety, and this report is proof that Portland is taking the right steps forward."
The other side: Todd Zarnitz, president of the Northwest District Association and a critic of the city's shelters, said measuring crime within 1,000 feet doesn't fully account for the impact of a shelter.
- He's seen open drug use, people experiencing mental health crises, and other livability issues increase this year throughout Northwest Portland, which he attributes in part to shelters.
- "They're only concerned about a fifth of a mile from these places," he told Axios. "We're worried about the whole neighborhood."
What's next: Several new shelters are in the works as part of Wilson's plan to end unsheltered homelessness by adding roughly 1,500 shelter beds in the city.