CITY OF

PORTLAND, OREGON
OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT

AMANDA FRITZ, COMMISSIONER Amalia Alarcn de Morris, Bureau Director Crime Prevention Program 1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 110 Portland, Oregon 97204

O r g a n i z i n g a n d s u p p o r t i n g c o m m u n i t y p a r t n e r s h i p s t o p r e ve n t c r i m e a n d t h e f e a r o f c r i m e .

Jane Leo, Governmental Affairs Director Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors 825 NE Multnomah, Suite 1145 Portland, Oregon 97232 November 29, 2011

Dear Jane, Thank you for your inquiry today about the incidents of people claiming to be connected to Occupy Portland illegally entering vacant, foreclosed properties for the purpose of living there, also known as squatting. Yes, what you have heard is true. In two instances that we know of, groups of people claiming a connection to Occupy Portland have squatted in vacant, foreclosed homes. In both cases, the homes were in NE Portland, and the neighbors alerted the police, who removed the squatters from the properties. We believe it is likely that others will attempt the same thing. Please alert your membership to this possibility, and offer them the following guidelines. If you discover that a property you are showing or managing has or has had squatters: 1. Decide whether you feel safe to talk to the squatters. If you feel comfortable doing so, tell them that they are trespassing, and they need to move out immediately. 2. Call the police. Call 9-1-1 if the squatters are present. Call 503-823-3333 if the squatters are not present. 3. Secure the house. Some options: change the locks; install motion detector or photosensitive lighting; trim the landscaping to increase visibility. Be sure to post at least one no trespassing sign in a visible spot on the building. 4. Sign a trespass agreement with the police if you are authorized to do so by the owner of the property. If you are not authorized, explain to the owner the value in signing a trespass agreement. Trespass agreements allow the police to immediately remove people from the property without first having to contact a person in charge of that property. To obtain a trespass agreement, call the pertinent police precinct. North Precinct 503-823-5700, East Precinct 503-823-4800, Central Precinct 503-823-0097. 5. Talk to the neighbors of the property. Give them your card and ask them to contact you and the police if they see squatters return. 6. Continue to check on the property to ensure it is secure.

Phone: 503-823-4064 Fax: 503-823-3050 www.portlandonline.com/oni/cp

If your members need any advice or further assistance, please have them call their Crime Prevention Coordinator or their Neighborhood Response Team Officer. They can find their CP Coordinator by calling 503-823-4000, and they can find their NRT Officer by calling their precinct. Thanks again for your inquiry, Jane, and for offering to spread the word with the PMAR membership. Best wishes,

Stephanie Reynolds Crime Prevention Program Manager Office of Neighborhood Involvement City of Portland 503-823-2030