Portland City Council votes to end Clean & Safe contract for downtown

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Portland City Council voted Wednesday to end the Clean & Safe funding for police in the business district.

The decision came with a 3-2 vote, with Commissioner Mingus Mapps and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in opposition.

The vote comes after both sides shared concerns about the partnership with a city auditor in March saying there is little oversight of the privately funded public services.

Clean & Safe has also previously said they don’t want to be privately funding basic services. Property owners currently pay for services such as graffiti removal, expanded trash pick up and extra security patrols.

Portland police have partnered with Clean & Safe for more than two decades as the organization pays to have officers patrol the business district.

During the meeting Wednesday, commissioners heavily focused on the fact certain areas of Portland would have more police presence. Mapps said areas like Old Town deserve additional funding given its spike in crime, while other commissioners argued against unequal police presence.