Crime-weary business owners turn to private security after Portland defunds police

Lisa Schroeder, the owner of Mother’s Bistro & Bar in downtown Portland, Oregon, realized things had to change last month after she was on hold for more than an hour with the local police department.

“I waited on hold on the nonemergency police number after an incident where a skateboarder trashed a bunch of glasses we had outside our restaurant for outdoor diners,” Ms. Schroeder told The Washington Times. “I finally hung up after nearly 1 1/2 hours.”

Ms. Schroeder, fed up with repeatedly having to clean graffiti off the windows of her comfort food restaurant, figured it was time that she joined the growing roster of Old Town businesses hiring private security guards to protect employees and property.

She was relieved to find out that another tenant in her building had already done just that… (Excerpts from the Washington Times)