Downtown Bend merchants: Stepped-up PD patrols working

Several business owners in downtown Bend said Thursday they are seeing a different kind of summer season, compared to last year, when they dealt with more transients, drug activity and thefts.

Several actions were taken during the interim, such as adding surveillance cameras and putting gates near the breezeway to Drake Park by property owners.

Some business owners told NewsChannel 21 they would be calling police for service twice a week in the past, but this year they have not had to do that. The reason: more police patrolling the streets of downtown Bend.

Police Sgt. Mike Landolt said they also have noticed calls from businesses have gone down.

Landolt said business owners feel safer now that they’re patrolling the area more and aren’t seeing many transients hanging out in front their shops.

He said they still respond to calls.

“A lot of calls we get are loitering calls, where people are standing in front of businesses or blocking sidewalks,” the sergeant said, “That’s probably the most common one down here, which is a violation if you’re blocking a certain distance of the sidewalk. We usually ask folks to move along. It doesn’t seem like it’s a problem. It’s working.”.

Police are aware of the large groups gathering near the Mirror Pond parking lot and are addressing that issue as well, Landolt said.

Bend police responded to 4,723 calls in downtown Bend in 2016, 4,880 in 2017 and so far this year 3,005.

David Marchi, the owner of Crows Feet Commons, said with the solar eclipse and the rainbow gathering, he saw more of those people being aggressive toward business owners last year.

Marchi said the added security cameras and the fence on the breezeway also have helped deter crime.

“I think there’s more of an awareness from that population that understand there is surveillance, but as we can access those cameras from our landlords and sort of see and track and help the Bend Police Department as well,” Marchi said.

Police plan on continuing these foot patrols throughout the summer season.