Portland businesses band together to protect shops against vandalism, theft

By SARAH HURWITZ

    PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) -- Portland businesses continue to get hit with vandalism and burglaries.

Local advocacy group Bricks Need Mortar recently surveyed 110 Portland businesses on this growing issue.

It found nearly 63% have been vandalized or broken into in the last year and a half.

"One of the times they got in this was just plain glass and they actually punched through it with gloves and then just walked in," Oro Owner, Jody Howard said. "My friend is an electrician and she welded me this security gate that's decorative."

Howard says her jewelry shop's been hit several times.

"It's really frustrating and it's really hard. Just like all the other hardworking people that own small businesses, you adapt, you try to protect yourself," Howard said.

She says she had to board up her windows and even put steel bars across her doors.

Now, she says many businesses are banding together to keep each other informed on potential theft and vandalism.

Angelique Davis, the owner of Thee Lucky Bastard PDX is a part of that group.

"Initially it was a shoplifting thread, that was sort of like real time so we could alert one another, so they just did this here, be on the lookout etc.," Davis said. "And then really what it turned into is all of us lamenting and really sharing videos of who's done smash and grabs."

Davis says the group wants to come up with solutions to this problem impacting so many across Portland.

"None of us need any more time wasted, so the idea, or at least the notion or objective for me was to gather the information let's think of solutions," Davis said. "It's easy to complain, solutions are the tough part."

Davis says the group plans to meet in the next couple of weeks and aims to present solutions and concerns the Portland City Council.