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One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

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Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#21
A good side read is the Street Response team proposed by Street Roots, funding for which is in the proposed city budget: https://news.streetroots.org/2019/03/15/portland-street-resp...

Clean and Safe only works in downtown and often works in service to businesses who complain, and homelessness is an issue across the city. Portland police often resort to ineffective sweeps to clear camps, and are prone to deploying force when their limited de-escalation skills fail (most often when faced with mentally ill people, some of whom aren't homeless).

The Street Response proposal pitches teams comprised of a firefighter (unsafe heating and electrical hacks are common) and a person specifically trained in de-escalation and dealing with behavioral health issues. A centralized dispatch would send these teams to respond to non-violent calls--like sleeping campers, noise disturbances, minor medical incidences, and illegal fires--intentionally without police backup to assess and address the situation. The teams would roll in SUVs capable of reaching off-road sites and can help carry belongings to a shelter, legal campsite, family member, or treatment.

Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#22
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So it’s better to not provide the people in this horrid situation with any dignity in the hopes that something changes and shames society into some unknown action? Portland IS trying to provide public toilets and a cleaner environment on the streets at least. It sounds like the person profiled for this article actually was able to get her life together. It’s a step. SF can learn a lot from Portland. For example, it i…

> SF can learn a lot from Portland. SF can learn a lot from Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio: they don’t have city blocks covered with shit, needles, or people living in tents on the sidewalks. The more SF “helps,” the more they attract. Houston is the 4th largest city and has a fraction of the homeless. Red districts seem to have less income inequality and fewer homeless and lower poverty.[1] The San Francisco Approa…

Your examples are postwar "car" cities that are less walkable for life on the streets.

Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#23
post #13

I'm curious, does anyone from Portugal or Amsterdam have any comments on this story? Obviously, easy access to drugs is one side of this story. But, that's also the case in Portugal and Amsterdam, right? Are narcoterrorists from Central and South America the difference? Is this a new heroin, why the 10x leap in needles in five years? Is the difference that mental health is left to someone other than the state? As a n…

> Is this a new heroin, why the 10x leap in needles in five years? 1. Hand out opioids like candy. Everyone has pain now and then(backpain, dentist, etc), so everyone gets to try them. 2. People become habitual users and in some cases junkies. 3. Restrict the supply of OTC opioids, while continuing to lose the war on illegally supplied drugs. 4. Addicts and people looking to avoid getting dopesick look to heroin for…

> I learned via a friend that there are many hidden addicts in society. There are professionals who shoot H just to maintain and avoid getting dope sick.

A typical daily heroin addiction costs $100-$200 a day, or ~55k/yr. Some professions can cover the expense, but it costs serious money. When continuing with your career while addicted the user is put into a hard situation. Too many sick days from an empty bank account, a bad deal, or a lack of access can cost someone their career.

Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#25
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Is this a new heroin, why the 10x leap in needles in five years? 1. Hand out opioids like candy. Everyone has pain now and then(backpain, dentist, etc), so everyone gets to try them. 2. People become habitual users and in some cases junkies. 3. Restrict the supply of OTC opioids, while continuing to lose the war on illegally supplied drugs. 4. Addicts and people looking to avoid getting dopesick look to heroin for…

> I learned via a friend that there are many hidden addicts in society. There are professionals who shoot H just to maintain and avoid getting dope sick. A typical daily heroin addiction costs $100-$200 a day, or ~55k/yr. Some professions can cover the expense, but it costs serious money. When continuing with your career while addicted the user is put into a hard situation. Too many sick days from an empty bank accou…

If that is how much it costs, how can people afford it?

Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#26
post #13

I'm curious, does anyone from Portugal or Amsterdam have any comments on this story? Obviously, easy access to drugs is one side of this story. But, that's also the case in Portugal and Amsterdam, right? Are narcoterrorists from Central and South America the difference? Is this a new heroin, why the 10x leap in needles in five years? Is the difference that mental health is left to someone other than the state? As a n…

In the Netherlands everyone is required to have healthcare by law. It's less likely that people with mental illnesses end up on the street. For people who do end up on the street or addicted there are safe places to use drugs, recovery programs, employment services, and public housing. Almost all of this is run by the government.

Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#27
post #26
post #13

I'm curious, does anyone from Portugal or Amsterdam have any comments on this story? Obviously, easy access to drugs is one side of this story. But, that's also the case in Portugal and Amsterdam, right? Are narcoterrorists from Central and South America the difference? Is this a new heroin, why the 10x leap in needles in five years? Is the difference that mental health is left to someone other than the state? As a n…

In the Netherlands everyone is required to have healthcare by law. It's less likely that people with mental illnesses end up on the street. For people who do end up on the street or addicted there are safe places to use drugs, recovery programs, employment services, and public housing. Almost all of this is run by the government.

I'm interested in the statement "safe places to use drugs." Can you share any more details on that?

Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#28
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can call 311 to report issues like this to the city. However, I quickly realized that the crew isn't too happy about being called out for such matters. After reporting yet another dump on the sidewalk in front of our home, I saw the city crewman pull up, take his power sprayer, and blast the feces under my fence and all over my side yard - effectively rendering it no longer his problem.

It feels pretty silly to call 311 when I can literally see a group of police at the end of the block clearly making sure that the dealers addicts are right here instead of on the main road that gets most of the tourist foot traffic. They already know.

Is this progress?

Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#29

A good side read is the Street Response team proposed by Street Roots, funding for which is in the proposed city budget: https://news.streetroots.org/2019/03/15/portland-street-resp... Clean and Safe only works in downtown and often works in service to businesses who complain, and homelessness is an issue across the city. Portland police often resort to ineffective sweeps to clear camps, and are prone to deploying fo…

Endless enablement will worsen the environment. Criminals should be charged with crimes, not receive free services.

Re: One Day With the Squad That Removes Needles and Feces From Downtown Portland

#30
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I learned via a friend that there are many hidden addicts in society. There are professionals who shoot H just to maintain and avoid getting dope sick. A typical daily heroin addiction costs $100-$200 a day, or ~55k/yr. Some professions can cover the expense, but it costs serious money. When continuing with your career while addicted the user is put into a hard situation. Too many sick days from an empty bank accou…

If that is how much it costs, how can people afford it?

They generally cannot, which is why so many users resort to high-risk, high-reward ways to make money like prostitution, theft, etc.
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