Portland Business Owners and Operators:
The Portland Police Bureau has already been and continues to be engaged in extensive planning and collaborating with local public safety agencies and other key partners to promote safety during the upcoming election season. While we do not have any current intelligence to suggest violence, we know there is a lot of uncertainty and tension in our community during this time. We are planning to increase our law enforcement partnerships and staffing to promote public safety on Election Day and the days following.
A lot of business owners and operators want to know if they should close or board up their business. We cannot provide advice for those specific questions, however, we can provide some tips to increase safety for your business and employees:
• Stay informed-Follow us on Twitter @PortlandPolice. If there is a public safety concern, we will be proactively publishing information and video updates as appropriate on this platform. Many local news outlets incorporate this information in their reporting, which is helpful, but there may be a delay, so make sure to follow us. Sign up for our press releases at flashalertnewswire.org
• Be aware of where events are happening and the proximity to your business. You can get this information on Twitter as well.
• Help increase public safety by removing sandwich boards, furniture, and secure dumpsters outside of your business prior to events so these objects cannot be used as projectiles, barricades or fuel for fires.
• Report criminal activity through 9-1-1 if it is an emergency situation or through non-emergency dispatch at (503) 823-3333.
• Be aware that in the event of a significant incident, police service may be delayed. Do not let this deter you from calling 9-1-1 to report an emergency life safety situation, but consider there are limited resources even though additional resources will be assigned.
• Check security footage for criminal activity that could help PPB investigators if an incident occurs at or near your business and report through dispatch.
• Help us to send a community-wide message of the shared value of peaceful gathering and speech and that violence and destruction are not acceptable in our community.
Our hope is this election season will be peaceful and without risk to our Portland community’s safety. Thank you in advance for helping us to increase safety for our community.
PDF available here
Warm Regards,
Chief Chuck Lovell, III
October 16, 2020