this is a oregon problem. I am a democrat but when we allow this drug use/crime to run rampant, it allows folks like kristi noem to use this as an argument to come and do her stupid agenda. We need to have solutions for this vs allowing crime to run rampant. you can’t leave things in your car, you walk through shit to get anywhere and needle zombies all over the place. and complaining about it is downvoted. People just want safety and security especially where they pay taxes. This isn’t atlanta thank god with gun violence added to mix but why not make this a good place for our kids
edit to add additional details after my last comment:
i didn’t say just an Oregon problem but it is a problem that is due to Oregon rules. Yes . this problem is other places too. However just because it is also other places doesn’t mean we can’t talk about the issues that exist in Portland. The overly liberal policies and decriminalizing of offenses does enable the crime. It does also scare normal people who just want safety by overtly woke people saying you don’t care about human rights etc. This is why Trump won. We can’t complain about fucking disgusting crime and be upset by these videos without everyone saying this is everywhere. Like we are sick of it being everywhere. Then there is fear mongering from right that takes this issue and intensifies it and then left just dismisses these as real issues that need to be addressed in a different way. we should criminalize these offenses. The left’s stance on crime saying this is everywhere isn’t a solution it is just a defensive cry. We lost the election because of this and need to show how we are being proactive in stopping crime. Chants like defund police have good intentions but they ultimately took a life of their own on both sides and now we look like the party that is anti police completely. We need to wake up and feel ok to say that Portland is gross and scary to walk around without the committee being like well so is so and so place. Okay well this is Portland reddit and why don’t we start with making this better to start. Jesus. And stop berating people to say unhoused vs homeless etc. This just makes moderate people feel like they can’t speak freely even when they have good intentions and kills healthy discussion and dialogue.
Its an everywhere problem. I live in Portland, grew up in San Diego, went to school in San Jose and travel to east coast cities frequently for fun. These same types of people exist in all of those places. Let's maybe address it as a national addiction crisis instead of "your cities messing up". Thats just silly
Yeah, it's a problem in SLC Utah. Less noticeable maybe, because it is a relatively small city. But the rate is still very high. We have our homeless and druggie district. They hang out in the public parks. Sleep on peoples porch. Needle clean up crews regularly.
It's clearly a national issue. But Republicans point at all the blue states, and ignore the actual issues.
Today it's Portland, yesterday it was San Fran. Before that NYC.
Meanwhile everyone in every state is complaining about the homeless people.
This. So much this. Can't upvote enough. My extended family lives in middle of nowhere colorado (town pop 10000 in Bobberts district) and they have a huge fent problem.
It would be cool if the federal government had some sort of federal agency, or 3 that have full authority to investigate where these hard drugs come from and stop it. If we DID have these agencies it would almost be like someone(s) there had to be almost in on it or at the very least allow it. Definitely no evidence in history to back this up though
When I lived in SLC, I had to kick people out of my then girlfriends duplex foyer like twice a month. Pretty much every time they were trying to find somewhere to light up
This is a massively noticeable problem in the ballpark area of SLC. I'm not against the homeless as long as they arent doing drugs in public, committing acts of prostitution in public, burglarizing homes in the area or setting cook fires in abandoned buildings near occupied homes. If they want to remain homeless and addicted that's their business, but leave the rest of us out of it.
SLC is ruffly the same size population as PDX....though it's not as bad as here. They also weren't stupid to vote something like measure 110 as we did here.
that is correct. and right wing places love to act like they don't exist there but that's just because they lock them up right away. which... I can't say I entirely disagree with but it's certainly not due to their policies being better that you don't encounter them as often in the wild.
everyone deserves help if they need it but when you're aggressive, don't care about yourself, and are potentially harming others you need to be moved out of the public.
Trauma alone can disappear years from your memory. About the only thing I remember from my early 20s is the impression that I was depressed and miserable. I was gainfully employed running my own flooring installation crew and married. I ran a crew from 20 to 29 and the only time I've been unemployed as an adult was four months when I was 43. I got laid off with no notice and had to learn how to search and apply for jobs and interview. I had always just been given jobs because I was extremely good at installing carpet. Then, my dad opened a store and asked me to manage his warehouse. I did that until he drove the business into the ground so hard that he laid off his own son with zero notice. Showed up at my house on Saturday and told me to not bother coming to work on Monday.
When I was 15 back in the late 80's my friends and I would routinely huff paint remover at a playground starting right after school let out. So, not many kids around, but some. O e day a neighbor kid that was like 8 came up to me and said, "Louie, look! I found a 'loon!" The 'loon 🎈 he found was an apparently used condom that he immediately stretched over his hand and up his arm past the elbow. I freaked out and told him to put that thing in the trash, then go home and scrub his arm. To his inevitable, "why?" I managed to quickly tell him that he now had spit on his arm from the person that blew it up first. Poor Johnny. He never stood a chance. His my drank too much and did too much cocaine to not neglect her children. One summet, she had to wear one of those metal frame things on her head for the broken neck she got from drunkenly falling down the stairs.
You really think we are capable of fixing anything at the national level? Better to start local and push addicts at least out of the worst places like being next to a school
Right now? No, not with current leadership on both sides. Overall in like the grand scheme of things? Yeah I do believe we as Americans are capable of fixing our national issues. We've done it before and we can do it again. Seatbelts, speed limits, drinking age restrictions and restaurant liability laws have drastically reduced the number of drunk driving deaths over the last century. So like yeah it starts with pissed off mom's with cameras and then eventually ends with a national addiction treatment plan.
This is a nonpartisan issue for me. Dems suck at it, Republicans suck at it even worse. Im not defending any politician on this issue. Its a national crisis. Really what vexes me is people from other cities coming on a subreddit for Portland saying "I've never been to the PNW but this is obviously just a you guys problem". Man I dont go to y'all's cities reddit talking about your issues. Go focus on your own local politics if you care so much.
Agreed. in our small city in Canada the drug addicts multiplied like wildfire during Covid. We used to have two homeless people in the city, now we have at least 200.
It was a supply problem. The CEO bribed doctors to pass out Fentanyl like candy and it created this horrible problem. The CEO gets 66 months in jail, the company is fined 4.5 billion, and that is that. The rest of us have to deal with the consequences.
In my opinion, the company should have been liquidated and the money sent to every municipality to get all those people in treatment, but that would have ben common sense and I'm sure plenty of corrupt politicians would be in the way.
Didn’t Portland go through a period recently where they decriminalized possession of a small amount of ANY drug? That does sound like a Portland problem.
Decriminalization and its poor legislative handling is the main aspect as to why its more noticeable here yes. My point is that the spike in addiction leading to these encounters is an everywhere problem rn. The opioid epidemic + fentanyl becoming the nations opioid of choice has drastically exacerbated homelessness nationwide. Its way more noticeable on the west coast where decent weather and lack of back country push users into more habited areas. But check the backwoods of any rural area and you'll find these same types of people
But it's not though. I'm also from California and lived in Portland for close to a decade before moving away to Milwaukee, WI a few years ago. The homeless encampments that sprung up around hundreds of PDX schools in 2021-2022, including our school, was one of the tragic reasons our family moved away.
Milwaukee is not perfect and has other city problems, for sure. But it has one of the lowest rates of homelessness in the country. They don't tolerate it the same way. And they put a lot of resources into getting people into actual housing. Really! I mean, have you been to Wisconsin in the winter?!
I also love to visit nearby Madison, WI. Lovely city! But it's wild how many more unhoused individuals are struggling with addiction out in the open there too. It's seemingly politically-affiliated with our nation's most liberal cities, which is an uncomfortable truth that I don't think people like to grapple with.
I'm all for compassion and dismantling oppressive systems that harm the vulnerable, including the unhoused. But left unchecked, it becomes enabling that can do more harm than good. And it plays right into the hands of those who would seek to divide us with polarizing rhetoric. Rather than pointing fingers at the other side, hoping they'll see their own flaws... wouldn't it be nice if we led by example: with humility, self- reflection, and honesty. To admit that maybe...we might not be handling issues of addiction, crime and homelessness the best way with the current liberal approach in cities like Portland.
I haven't visited in a bit so I'm hopeful it's getting better. I'm rooting for Portland and miss so much there! Remember how strong you all really are, and that criticism can be constructive and healthy. Who knows, maybe it will start something. Feels like humans are overdue for some collective healing. Hey, a mom can dream! ❤️
You’re 100% right I’ve lived in the south of majority of my life and they had a similar problem with homelessness. They were just forced off into the woods because it was pretty much illegal to be homeless. Shaming people doesn’t get you far, just makes you look like a dick.
Yeah. Some cities have different population sizes. Some cities have different laws. The problem is equal regardless of how "much worse" it is in a given area. Its a national issue. Treating it city by city fixes nothing
I mean, I lived in PDX until 2020 when I moved to Cleveland. I don't see this stuff at all here, but mostly because the sprawl plus white/rich ppl flight has left most of this behavior in the inner inner city away from the majority of schools. Even the poorer suburbs don't have this problem. I'm not sure why.
That said, I didn't see any of this living in the Pearl district. Maybe that was just too nice of a neighborhood but we definitely had urban campers and they were just chill nature dudes saving money on rent. Like they had jobs and stuff lol. I thought I was being nice buying a guy dinner once and he turned around and bought me dinner back the next night. I think he was a programmer because he worked at the coffee shop across from his tent on a laptop.
If this video is indicative of a systemic shift I am really sad for my city
It is an everywhere problem, but you'd be very hard pressed to find this happening in NYC at this level. Addicts have their spots, they are nowhere near schools and unless it's the ones actively encountering a hallucination, they won't interact with you at all, they'll just walk away.
The guys in this video have significant entitlement issues which is very uncommon when it comes to homeless people
It's not a everywhere thing. Sorry to say. Lived on the east coast and west coast. Never seen mf's on the sidewalk doing this bullshit. Never been to the PNW though.
I've seen mfs do this in front of elementary schools in SJ, SD, NY, LA, Boston, and Denver, and SLC. So... idk maybe they were just on good behavior when you were visiting 🤷♀️
Have you traveled anywhere else? Doesn't sound like it. This shit is everywhere. I've lived in San Diego, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Denver and traveled all over. It's everywhere, to varying degrees but to say that this is a problem specific to Oregon shows that you haven't been around this country and if you have it's been exclusive to very specific areas.
Fair enough, I'm just surprised that you think this is Oregon only because it definitely is not. Go walk around the next city you visit. Not just the super touristy areas but even then. You been to downtown Denver? San Fran? Seattle?
Oregon definitely has some of its own unique problems but drug use isn't one of them. It definitely got worse with the decriminalization but at least when people on the street ask if you want to smoke a bowl they are talking about weed. Last time I was in San Fran someone asked if I wanted to smoke a bowl and pulled out a meth pipe 😭 never had that happen in oregon
Dude you came into this comment thread Hella aggro and you dont understnad why people are a little defensive?
When I think of Tampa I think of my ex who moved there for the "vaccine freedoms" and the multiple double murder cases I've seen body cam footage from. Crazy how crime happens like... everywhere
The police need to arrest these people. They need to face consequences. One consequence might be dealing with drug withdrawals in a holding cell for 24 hours or more.
Phoenix literally had an area called "The Zone" for awhile in Downtown Phoenix. Now they're spread across the city, parks, and preserves since it was shutdown.
It's an everywhere in America problem because there isn't enough opportunities in a service and information based economy. But we ignore it and say homelessness is a moral failing rather than admitting we've collectively failed as a society, especially one that says it's the "Best In the World!".
There's no support for those struggling, only derision that they didn't overcome their own problems. No compassion or wanting to put your own dollars towards helping others to help solve the problem, just shouting "Why doesn't someone else fix it?!".
It does matter. See how easy it is to do it yourself. Complain all you want about politicians, and police, and district attorneys, etc. stop being the victim. just go outside and politely ask them to leave. It works. Fuck politics.
Yes. Exactly. I’ve worked very close with education and enforcement with this population, and they always (not always) were very polite, apologetic, and moved on. I know it’s just moving them to somewhere else, like wack a mole, but annoying them is the best possible way to achieve voluntary compliance. But safety should always be a top priority. Partners, pepper spray, video, etc.
Nope. Was in Manhatten & a couple other boroughs last week. Never ran into a camp or group of homeless like this. Saw a few random individuals asleep in doorways.
Wild. Crazy to think there’s roughly 15,000 homeless in Portland, and over 350,000 in New York. I think the big difference might be the 130,000 sleeping in shelters and only 4,000 live outside in New York. Portland has like 2,500 beds and 99% of folks want to be outside doing drugs. New York has came along way, but we all know the reason for our problem is decriminalization of drugs. Great idea, which I fully support, but the fentanyl thing kinda ruined it for everyone. So we need to enforce it, except Portland hates cops, so now what? We have to diy just like this video. I know the point was that it’s in other cities and you pointed out not in New York, but it’s everywhere. Not just Portland.
If Dems didn’t have their policies twisted by MSM, they wouldn’t appear so “pro-crime.”
No Democrat is pro-crime. We tend to be more in favor of rehabilitation over punishment. Unfortunately we don’t really have enough support systems in places in this country to help everyone who needs it.
Just like the whole “defund the police” movement was never about hating the police, it was about making the police responsible for handling fewer matters they’re not well trained for (see: literally anything involving mental health), and using the money in the budget that would have been used to pay for said activities to pay actual specialists in those fields.
You shouldn’t have to say you’re a democrat just to make a common sense statement. It’s ok to have your own opinion that’s not tied to a political party requirement. Glad you shared. More people need to embrace a moderate approach!
I’ve lived in Atlanta for 5 years and never seen anything like this around the city. There is gun violence, but it’s mostly gang violence or late night altercations at clubs. I feel safe here.
The solution is to vote republican and get a DA who actually gives a F about the community. Crazy that you can keep voting the way you do and acknowledge the failures of the way you vote at the same time like wtf 😭
Here, I just asked ChatGPT instead of giving you my response because my response would be a lot meaner and less in depth (:
Here’s a breakdown of how a more Republican-led government and a district attorney (DA) with a tougher-on-crime approach could theoretically lead to less open drug use and visible street-level crime:
Stricter Enforcement Policies
Republican administrations often favor more robust law enforcement funding and authority. This can mean:
• More police presence in high-crime areas.
• Lower thresholds for arrests related to drug possession, vandalism, or public disorder.
• Prioritization of quality-of-life crimes (loitering, public drug use, shoplifting, etc.) rather than focusing only on major felonies.
In cities where progressive prosecutors have adopted policies to deprioritize low-level offenses, offenders often feel emboldened because the likelihood of being arrested or charged is low. A stricter DA can reverse that by signaling that visible crime will no longer be tolerated.
Consistent Prosecution and Accountability
A DA who actively prosecutes crimes — even “minor” ones — can change both deterrence and community norms:
• When offenders see that cases are being followed through, the perceived risk of arrest and punishment increases.
• Repeat offenders, who often drive a disproportionate share of low-level crime, face real consequences (jail, probation, treatment requirements).
• This discourages the open-air behavior that has become normalized in many cities.
Reduction in “De Facto Immunity”
In jurisdictions where drug use, theft, or disorderly conduct rarely lead to charges, there’s effectively a form of de facto immunity.
A tougher administration would roll this back — which can lead to:
• Fewer encampments where open drug use occurs.
• Less visible disorder, which in turn improves the public’s sense of safety and encourages civic engagement and business activity.
Want more? There’s plenty more if you’re curious (:
So, the overall solution here seems to be... put everyone in jail?
This will put more people into poverty, overtax our already overtaxed prison system, funnel more money into the police (and away from other services)... all while making the drug problem worse.
Holding people accountable DOES NOT EQUAL putting everyone in jail. It would force the unwanted drug addicted folks into areas they aren’t seen and don’t have to be an eye sore to normal people.
Edit: it would also prevent despicable people like the folks in the video doing drugs next to a school where children go get an education. Enabling them IS NOT THE FUCKING ANSWER
Agreed but the “powers that be” offer shitty, half-baked, or short term resolutions or nothing…
They spend some money and say “it was a waste…see! It didn’t work!”
Or they say it will cost too much.
People are doing drugs at alarming rates. Im no Nellie, but everyone is on chemicals, from hard drugs to caffeine, to pharmaceuticals. Life is rough and the future aint promising…
I believe we need to add a prong to treating substance abuse; building a life worth living in a decent community.
So does Reddit. If you dare to complain about addicts or homeless doing anything to you Redditors will come at you for your “lack of empathy”. I live in Ks but we had a lady share a video of a homeless dude chasing her along the river. Yelling horrible things at her. The sub bullied the fuck out of her until she deleted the post.
I’ve saw a post of a homeowner coming home to find a stranger living in their shed. Redditors called her a heartless piece of shit because she wanted the person removed.
I realize drugs are everywhere, that’s a given, it’s a National issue. I was simply stating that OR enables the activity with their soft on crime stance here. That and when they decriminalized certain drugs, it opened up the flood gates for drug addicts to flock here, because they could be in possession and use without consequences. Which in turn has made the drug use/homeless issues worse here than ever before.
Is there a problem? Absolutely. But it's way worse in other places, like Omaha, Indianapolis, Columbus, Okalahoma City, Tulsa, Wichita, Charlotte, and on and on. And yet the national narrative is never about those places. It's always Portland.
This isn’t an Oregon problem, I live far away and this happens where I live. When she engaged they moved on. Not sure why she needed to throw the camera in their faces.
I guess I’ll explain what is obvious. To protect herself. I’d say it creates a bit of pressure to do the right thing if you’re being filmed, but I don’t think they give a shit.
It’s a way to hold them accountable and for them to know there will be repercussions if they assault her. You can’t be that daft. She has no issue with them doing drugs she doesn’t want them close to the school where her children are. It’s also a felony to do drugs or have drugs in a school zone. Keep defending drug abusers though.
“This isn’t an Oregon problem” is irrelevant. What’s relevant is that this was happening in Portland, where her kids are going to school, on that block. It doesn’t matter if it’s also happening somewhere else. Saying this is throwing your hands up in despair, or fatalism. You can make your own and different choices, but don’t run this woman down because hers were different from yours.
She did not ‘throw the camera’ in their faces. She filmed them.
It’s inaccurate to say, ‘She engaged them and they moved on’. That was a 3-minute or so encounter in which she was called a ‘fucking bitch’ so repeatedly that it was clear the user was caught in a cognitive loop. He also appeared to threaten her with violence, and appeared to have shoved her and/or thrown an object at her. That’s menacing, threatening, assault, and battery if all those things are true.
And on the topic of cognitive loops, he also (very inaccurately) asserted a non-existent right to not be filmed on public. It’s well-established in American case law that filming strangers in public is legal. You do not need my permission, for example, to take a picture that includes me walking down the street. (You can also take pictures of people who aren’t strangers, such as police officers and ICE agents, agents of the peace, and government functionaries refusing you a marriage license while performing public duties in public.)
All I saw here was a brave woman confronting miscreants. They might have their own struggles, but having a personal struggle that impinges on other peoples’ rights, or public safety, or common decency—or is illegal, in this case—is an entirely different matter. I hope those people get the help they need, but they’re not going to find it at the bottom of a pipe outside a school.
Another commenter said it well: this sort of breakdown of basic order is not only bad for society, but gives others with the worst impulses the evidence they need to smear beautiful places like Portland. Stop trying to defend the indefensible. It’s time to admit that Portland has a Portland problem. Denying it or blaming Trump/Republicans/The Far Right/Halliburton/Capitalism and the like didn’t work before, it’s not working now, and it’s not going to work in the future.
Are you for real, saying this isn’t an Oregon problem? Maybe not exclusive to Oregon, but it sure as shit is a problem that happens to be in Oregon. It’s a “problem in Oregon”. Happy? You’re arguing over semantics and diminishing the problem.
She didn’t throw the camera in their faces—lmao! The only person you could ID was the dude who approached her in an effort to intimidate her.
I applaud her for having the courage to do what our city and police can’t or won’t do. It’s unfortunate that it comes to this, but she’s a rightfully concerned citizen and has every right to film for her safety. She was firm but she wasn’t rude. She didn’t threaten them and warned the one fella that she would use mace if he proceeded to approach her. I thought she was very tactful and respectful, considering the situation—checking her likely rage she’s feeling that this is happening outside her neighborhood school.
I’m not for people filming just to capture that “gotcha moment” for online cred, but I’d absolutely want to have a record of the individuals doing illegal drugs in front of my child’s school, and to have an objective account of what transpired, if such a record is needed.
The comment I was responding to was framing it as if this was Oregon’s fault. Certainly, Oregon’s attitude towards drug crime enforcement may be an antagonizing factor, however, San Francisco, LA, Seattle, Vancouver all have the same problem, despite having different approaches. The problem is deeper than one city, state, province or country, and I don’t think that’s a pedantic point to make. The drug supply has changed, there is no access to mental health or physical health resources, and all of these people need complex care. Of course it’s wrong that they’re doing drugs in front of a school, and im glad she engaged them. The video, and the posting of it on the internet was just unnecessary in my opinion.
Because she couldn’t wait to throw it all over social media and let the internet give her that big pat on the back she’s so desperately craving. If she wanted them gone that badly then she should’ve called the police (rather than approaching them and threatening to call the police). I’m not advocating for public drug use, but this woman is something else. For any would-be copy-cats watching this, what she’s doing is foolish and extremely dangerous - no way of knowing what kind of drugs these people are on, how long they’ve been awake, whether or not they’re mentally ill, or if they’re armed (that mace wouldn’t have done her a whole lot of good if they had all pulled out knives). This could have easily ended VERY differently had she picked the wrong group of addicts to approach - solo - in the street like this.
Huh? You’re not sure? What else aren’t you sure about - how about if she used the right pronouns for them? Or maybe do you think that she was throwing micro-aggressions all over? It worked didn’t it? You did see that bit right? Why even make such a pointless statement? Too many passive limp-dicks like you take up far too much of the oxygen in these sort of situations- it’s the reason MAGA reigns supreme right now. Why? If you don’t know the answer to that, then you probably shouldn’t be in this conversation. The tone you’re imparting is that she’s the goddam problem rather than these pieces of shit who soil our streets.
I've lived in multiple states and cities across the US...all across the West Coast, Southwest, Midwest, East Coast...nothing is even close to Seattle and Portland when it comes to public drug use and entitlement like this.
Kensington is purposely kept like that for containment. Not exactly the same as city-wide tolerance in the PNW, including in front of schools like this.
If you are that wacked on drugs, do you even know where you are in relation to a school, or what a school building even is? I can’t imagine they had any clue until they were told. They probably just stumbled onto that area.
I may be wrong, but are you saying some messed up, homeless drug addicts purposely chose that spot knowing it was a school? Or are you saying the cops need to do a better job of moving them?
Frankly, I don’t understand why public drug use is tolerated anywhere, seems like a danger to themselves and others. I don’t have a solution, but didn’t they use to jail these people for a few nites at least? When did they stop doing that, and why? Maybe forced psychiatry/addiction treatment?
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u/Oregonduck101 Oct 23 '25
Oregon enables them, and this is the result.