‘Fentanyl hotspot’ near Portland church and schools has neighbors sounding the alarm

A group of neighbors in Northwest Portland have banded together to promote change on their streets.

They formed a group called “Stadiumhood” to share ideas and hold city and county leaders accountable for drug activity and safety issues in the neighborhoods surrounding Providence Park.

On Wednesday, three of the members testified before the Portland City Council.

“I’m from Brooklyn and the Bronx, and from bad neighborhoods and the projects, and you just cannot live with yourself if you let things like this go on when you know you have an ability to change them,” said Pete Colt, who lives near Trinity Episcopal Church.

Trinity Episcopal Church provides free meals to the homeless on Wednesdays, but Colt says it attracts people openly using drugs.

“It’s just good, smart business, go where your customers are, and they’re right here at Trinity,” he said.

He told city council members he’s witnessed other nefarious activity in front of the church.

“I’ve seen old men push women down to their knees to perform oral sex on Trinity Episcopal Cathedral’s property,” he said.

Resident Michelle Milla also testified.

“I, along with many people on my street, regularly pick up discarded needles and other evidence of drug use on the school properties, and feel heightened concern from parents who walk their children to school in what should be safe and welcoming areas,” she said.

“The unregulated distribution of drug paraphernalia, the absence of proper cleanup protocols, and the lack of accountability from organizations claiming to serve the public good have turned our neighborhood into an unsafe space that facilitates drug use and crime," she continued.

“The safety of our children should never be up for debate. It is not just a parental concern, but also a societal obligation.”

FULL STORY: https://tinyurl.com/3z3jcnw2

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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: December 6, 2024, 3:02 am.

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