Anne Pringle, herself a former mayor, lives in Portland.
I attended the same Eggs & Issues forum on public safety that Alexis Crawford did (“Portland’s mayor must fight addiction crisis with the utmost decency,” Sept. 19).
She focused on one statement by Mayor Dion (“Addicts are taking us hostage”), while acknowledging that there are “real and difficult public safety challenges.” Yes, we are facing serious public safety challenges. They have been commonplace in Bayside for decades, but are now being experienced in other parts of the downtown.
People on Portland’s streets have been murdered or assaulted, threatened with violence, robbed or solicited for sex. Parents fear children walking to school. People fear walking to work downtown in broad daylight because of the dangerous behaviors being tolerated on our streets. Servers leaving work in the late night or early morning hours walk to their cars in groups because they fear being attacked. A former city councilor’s sister, visiting from the west, was punched in the face in the Old Port. And many of us have observed people on sidewalks injecting drugs in their neck, in their butt (pants down to their ankles), passed out, etc.
What is going on? Why are we tolerating this?
First, it’s important to understand that many homeless individuals are down on their luck and gratefully accept services offered, such as a bed at the city’s shelter, the Homeless Services Center, housing navigation, assistance with securing public benefits for which they are eligible, etc.
But who are the unhoused on the streets, causing the public safety issues addressed at the forum? It is acknowledged that there are about 120 individuals “living outside,” who are addicted, living with mental illness and unable to be housed because of past behaviors. Each of these individuals is known to the police and to service providers, who meet weekly to coordinate engagement efforts and offer services.
But many refuse services because they have what they need to continue their self-destructive behaviors: free food, a liberal needle exchange ratio, clothes and tents, handouts. People are trapped in their lifestyle because their brains are impaired by drug use or untreated mental illness. They do not have the conscious ability to make responsible decisions on their own behalf.
Some councilors have for years referred to the individuals as “our neediest neighbors.” But are they really “our neighbors”? It has been well-known for years that two-thirds of the homeless that Portland is serving are from other parts of Maine or from out of state. As the mayor said, would we tolerate our own neighbors behaving as these individuals do on our streets? I doubt it.
As the mayor also said, our community has moved from compassion, to resentment, to the threshold of anger. I believe he speaks for the majority of residents who are tired of empty promises from councilors to “work with other communities” and “work with Augusta” to deal with these issues. Enough is enough!
But what to do? First, in November elect three city councilors who will prioritize our community, not the unhoused who refuse services and terrify people trying to enjoy their city and open spaces. Second, convene a community forum to listen to everyone, not just “the experts.” Third, following such a forum, convene a broad-based group (not just city staff and providers) to develop a coordinated and outcome-focused system that balances the interests of the entire community, residents as well as the homeless. Fourth, develop public-facing reporting that is data-driven and emphasizes accountability: How many people have committed to and are following a supported recovery/treatment program? Which providers are delivering positive outcomes (not just meals served)? Which are not?
We can do this. Now is the time. Let’s move on from criticism of the mayor, who is urgently sounding the alarm, to doing something different. Because what we are doing in Portland is not working. We can no longer wait until “people are ready” to accept services and treatment.
We need to improve the lives of everyone in Portland — now.