Memorandum

To:  Maria Rubio, Public Safety Liaison

Mayor Tom Potter’s Office

From:  Eric King, Crime Prevention Program Manager

Office of Neighborhood Involvement

Date:  12/2/2005

Re:  Inter-bureau Problem-Solving Task Force Proposal

The purpose of this memo is to outline a proposed inter-bureau problem-solving task force that would provide an outlet to more efficiently address chronic problem-locations throughout the city.

Often, City bureaus expend enormous amounts of resources to address public safety, code enforcement, or other neighborhood livability issues. Many of these problem properties require cooperation across bureau and even agency lines to ensure that various enforcement tools and strategies are being leveraged appropriately.

Much of this inter-bureau collaboration has been taking place and is working well. However, there are those problem properties that are so complex, so difficult to address, that it takes additional effort and cooperation to effectively deal with the issues. For these cases, it is proposed that a core group of impacted community members, public safety, code enforcement and neighborhood livability partners meet to brainstorm solutions to these complex situations. Specifically, this group would include:

▪  Impacted neighbors or businesses

▪  The Office of Neighborhood Involvement, Livability Service Center, which includes Crime Prevention, Housing and Nuisance, Graffiti Abatement, Liquor Licenses and Siting Programs (dependent upon geographic assignment)

▪  The Police Bureau, Drugs and Vice Division, Precinct Commander, Neighborhood Response Team (NRT) Officer (dependent upon geographic assignment)

▪  The Fire Bureau Inspector (dependent upon geographic assignment)

▪  HazMat

▪  The Bureau of Development Services, Code Compliance Services, which will include the Noise Control Office.

Other bureaus and agencies may be added to these meetings as needed, which could include:

▪  Portland Office of Transportation, Abandon Autos

▪  Multnomah County Vector Control

▪  Oregon Liquor Control Commission

▪  Multnomah County, Parole and Probations

▪  Multnomah County, Juvenile Justice

▪  Gang Enforcement Team

▪  Youth Gang Outreach

▪  Multnomah County, Domestic/Family Violence

Problem locations meeting the following criteria, would be eligible to be discussed amongst this group:

1)  Has a significant impact on neighborhood livability;

2)  Involves multiple agencies/departments and needs a high level of coordination to resolve;

3)  Has been a long-standing problem; and

4)  Could be used as an example or catalyst to develop policy changes (i.e. identifying additional tools such as code changes or working with other partner agencies to support ongoing coordination efforts).

It is envisioned that the core group as described above, would communicate potential problem-locations to a centralized position/individual (possibly through the Mayor’s Office- public safety liaison). If the location meets the above criteria, a meeting would be called to:

1)  Receive an update from all agencies involved on what their activities have been to date;

2)  Devise an action plan, which ensures coordination and appropriate timing of enforcement action;

3)  Decides which additional agencies/organizations should be involved, and

4)  What, if any, leverage should be applied by the commissioner or elected in charge

This proposal is just a rough idea of a concept. I welcome any feedback, particularly on 1) Who should be involved in a core group, 2) Who should facilitate or play a centralized tracking role in this process, and 3) What criteria should be used for properties to become eligible to be on the “chronic problem-location” list.

Thank you for entertaining this idea. I look forward to having a more detailed and thorough discussion with our partners on how to implement the concepts outlined in this memo.

Cc:  Jimmy Brown, ONI Director

 Elizabeth Kennedy-Wong, Mayor’s Office

Crime Prevention Staff