The Bayside neighborhood in Portland has accounted for nearly a third of the city’s arrests and about 40 percent of all overdoses citywide, according to Portland Police Chief Mark Dubois.
After a disturbing video showing open drug abuse, violence and public indecency in the Bayside neighborhood went viral earlier this year, the Portland City Council’s Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee began receiving regular updates on crime statistics and police activity in the neighborhood from Chief Dubois.
Speaking to the Committee on Tuesday, Police Chief Mark Dubois said that there were 728 calls for service in the Bayside neighborhood October, slightly down from 731 in September.
However, the calls for service this year still remain about 14 percent higher than the number of calls from the neighborhood during the same period last year, Dubois said.
Police made 45 arrests in Bayside in October. In 2024, year-to-date arrests in the neighborhood total 587 — about 30 percent of the 1,985 total arrests this year citywide, according to Dubois.
“Probably the most notable, is about 40 percent of all overdoses occurred in Bayside, year-to-date,” the Portland Police Chief told the Committee.
As of the start of this week, out of 484 overdoses reported citywide in 2024, 184 occurred in the Bayside neighborhood.
Following Dubois’ presentation, City Councilor and Committee Chair April Fournier raised the issue of increased gun violence, both in Bayside and in Portland generally.
“One of the things that I think is consistently on my mind, and not necessarily just related to Bayside, but just we have had a number — or an increase in gun violence,” Fournier said.
“So I’m definitely sensitive to that, I know I’m hearing some of that from our constituents,” Fournier added. “We’ve seen a pretty big increase this year, not only in Bayside, but I think we’re not used to hearing about frequent shootings happening in Portland.”
In late October a man was charged with murder in connection to a shooting in the Bayside neighborhood that left a man dead after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.
[RELATED: Man Charged With Murder After Shooting in Portland’s Bayside Neighborhood Leaves One Dead…]
Dubois agreed that the city has seen an increase in gun violence, and would be providing specific data on gun violence to the Committee and their next meeting.
“We have seen an increase [in gun violence] — it’s citywide, not just in Bayside,” Dubois told Fournier.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="32447 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=32447">11 Comments
Boo hoo. This is what they voted for, maybe after they or their children get addicted, OD, assaulted or killed they’ll smarten up.
Idea, let’s just make it an autonomous zone. Put up a fence and let them go at it lord of the fly’s style. It’ll save millions. Let-em turn the city into a total shithole then blackrock can swoop in and buy the real estate for pennies on the dollar and just like that the problem magically disappears. (see san francisco for example)
The fact there were 484 overdoses in Ptld is horrifying.
Is the City Council still handing out needles?
Liberals ruin everything they touch.
Portland’s “Hood”, a cop in that neighborhood will need a Tyvek suit, back up units and a translator !
I think if someone opened another brew pub or pot shop in that area,things would get much better..
Hey Fournier…Don’t change the subject. Address the point being made by Dubois. Oh wait, you ain’t gonna do sh*t… you’re just gonna blame guns, ignore the facts and pass out needles…all in the name of “equity” I’m sure.
It is beyond my understanding how these delusional people get voted in…I guess the only anwser is that those who vote for her are just as delusional.
@Beachmom Yes they are and they’re all over the ground.
Really, blame the guns, town needs Grady Judd
Liberal bull shi*
45 “arrests” in October. What about the 250 the po po just ignored ? Clearly the 45 arrests where only where their hand was forced. (The shooting, photos/videos surfacing of their inaction etc) They LITERALLY park at Portland St and Oxford and WATCH people shooting up then sleeping/passing out for many hours daily. Portland police are either incredibly overwhelmed, have zero motivation and low morale, no support from superiors or are just plain incompetent and lazy.
And %40 pf our property tax increase