Hello SWNI Neighbors. I wanted to share an update on a recent increase in night time crime, specifically in the Ash Creek Neighborhood but applicable to all neighborhoods.

Call 503-823-3333 the Portland Police Non-Emergency # to report joy riding.

Generally once or twice a year a vehicle will drive up onto the soccer field at Albert Kelly Park and do a spin or two, but this year sometime during the night of Friday Nov 18th, 2005 one or more vehicles did spionouts on the soccer field.

Call 503-823-4TAG(4824) the Portland Police Bureau's Graffiti Hotline to report graffiti.

Some photos from 2003-4 of graffiti at Bridlemile Elementary School

The Bridlemile Hamilton Park Foot Patrol is dedicated to making Hamilton Park a safer, quieter, more litter free park for all to enjoy. Active members of the foot patrol are neighborhood volunteers who've received training through the City. The Hamilton Park Foot Patrol began in 2004. Volunteers patrol the park on weekends and selected weekdays. Your participation on one or more patrol walks is all it takes to keep the foot patrol effective.

How to sign up for the email group

In Southwest Portland there is an email group focused on public safety and crime prevention. So far, this group has not been used to its full potential, and I would like to see that change by attracting more members to the group. This article explains the function of the email group (also known as a list serve), and how to sign up for it.

The SW Public Safety email group is designed to help neighbors and businesses in Southwest Portland discuss crime prevention and public safety issues amongst themselves and with police and crime prevention personnel. City personnel use this group to pass along information, statistics, and crime alerts, and to answer questions. Neighbors and businesses may use this group to ask for information, compare notes, and strategize to improve safety and security in our Southwest neighborhoods.

by the Portland Police Bureau

On Sept. 28, 2005, the Portland Police Bureau conducted a bicycle-motorist safety campaign in Northeast Portland geared toward educating drivers about bicycle lanes.

The Police Bureau’s Traffic Division focused on a 150-foot stretch of road on southbound NE 122nd Avenue as it intersects with NE Halsey Street. A solid bike lane separates the vehicle lanes from what could appear to be a lane, but is actually a shoulder. Motorists cross over the solid bike lane, a violation, and use the shoulder lane – and in some cases, part of the bike lane – as a right-turn lane.

by Oregon Construction Contractors Board

November in Oregon usually means the beginning of the high winds and heavy rain season. Homeowners whose property is damaged by Mother Nature’s fury can be prime targets for unscrupulous thieves. The Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB), the state agency that protects consumers and regulates the construction industry in Oregon, has the following advice:

When stopping a vehicle, police officers must be mindful of a number of factors: traffic on the road, looking for a safe place to pull over, the number of people in the vehicle, suspicious movements and their own personal safety.

Beginning September 2005 and continuing through March 2006, all Portland Police Bureau officers are receiving a three-hour course in the ethics and constitutionality of stopping vehicles as part of the annual 40-hour in-service training.