‘A hotbed of illegal activity’: County commissioner clashes with Portland officials over security outside Central Library

Following the shooting near the Multnomah County Central Library in downtown Portland earlier this month, county commissioner Meghan Moyer is pressuring local authorities to address persistent safety issues in the region.

Moyer wrote to Mayor Keith Wilson and Police Chief Bob Day on Thursday, stating that the county can only take so much action to safeguard its staff and customers at its problematic downtown location.

Sadly, she noted, crimes outside the county library happen much too frequently. Security and library employees in Multnomah County lack the resources and authority to patrol Portland city streets and sidewalks.

Wilson responded to Moyer by stating that the library has a persistent and concerning problem with deadly weapons. He stated that the same safety measures should be implemented at the library branch as they are at other county-run establishments for employees, guests, and political figures.

In a reply to Moyer Friday, he stated that the security of Multnomah County Central Library users should be given similar consideration.

Moyer, who represents downtown Portland in her district, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that she wrote the letter to try to get the county and city to work together more closely on addressing what she described as a “hotbed of illegal activity.” Police and the city must cooperate to lessen the problem that is unfolding on the library’s perimeter, she said, even if the county has improved library security and made other adjustments.

On July 1, a deadly altercation along Southwest 10th Avenue and Yamhill Street sparked fresh worries about safety. When police arrived on the scene of a shooting, they discovered a man who was later identified as Douglas Ivers, 50, suffering from gunshot wounds. Six streets from the incident, officers eventually located and detained the perpetrator, who was later identified as 26-year-old Hassan Muse.

After being taken to the hospital, Ivers was declared deceased.

According to court documents, Muse was captured on security footage inside the library just prior to the fatal altercation. Court documents don’t make it clear if he had the pistol in the library.

At the time, a Multnomah County Library representative falsely claimed that the shooting had nothing to do with the main branch.

The downtown library, a hub for drug usage and a meeting point for the city’s homeless population, has long had safety concerns. Overdoses have been an issue at the flagship branch, and librarians there and at other branches have previously expressed a sense of insecurity at work.

Kim Sutton, a library representative, stated that the number of security officers stationed at the central branch has increased from four to seven. Additionally, the library boosted cleaning and trash removal and limited Wi-Fi use to business hours.

Moyer requested that Day devise a strategy for enhancing the environment outside the branch and that police establish patrols outside the library building. Additionally, she stated that library staff have complained about police’s tardy reactions and requested that their complaints be given careful consideration.

According to Moyer, if they call the police, it indicates that there is a serious emergency and that they must get help right away.

Day could not be reached for comment. As Willamette Week first reported, police Commander Brian Hughes addressed a number of recommendations to the library on July 7 on how to strengthen security. These included lowering the Wi-Fi signal outside, installing metal detectors, and providing the sheriff’s office with security control.

According to police spokesperson Terri Wallo Strauss, the Portland Police Bureau really hopes that these suggestions will assist us all—city and county—move toward a successful plan.

According to a Central Precinct document, police have also stepped up enforcement in that part of downtown despite having less resources. According to the document, police have acted swiftly and consistently, and the issue at the library is caused by a location-based atmosphere that is welcoming of unlawful activity.

The report claimed that the Central Library’s present security posture lacked accountability and deterrence.

Moyer defended the county, claiming that security and library employees had little control over events that take place off library grounds. The library couldn’t have done much to stop the shooting earlier this month, she added.

“I don’t think that would have stopped that shooting, even though we could have done everything in the world,” she said. I’m putting it on hold a little bit because Multnomah County simply lacks the jurisdiction to deal with it on its own.

Wilson disagreed, putting the responsibility for ensuring the safety of library patrons on the county. He said that it was just a coincidence that the shooting took place on the street rather than in the library. He requested that the county make public all internal communications on firearms and on-site events at the library, including those pertaining to security advice and those preceding the library’s denial of involvement in the shooting.

Wilson wrote, “The Portland Police Bureau has provided a list of basic, common-sense security recommendations at the request of Multnomah County and with my support.” It is evident from reading the document that Multnomah County leadership has the authority to restore safety to the Central Library.

The first-term commissioner also attacked the mayor’s sheltering approach in her letter. According to Moyer, the Wilson shelter strategy, which primarily concentrates on increasing the number of beds for nighttime shelters, falls short in addressing the city’s homeless population’s lack of day resources. In addition to asking police to direct individuals to the county’s diversion center more frequently, Moyer stated that the mayor shouldn’t depend on county libraries to cover that gap.

Despite having a much smaller budget for homeless services than the county, Wilson stated that part of his objective is to construct four day centers throughout Portland. Day centers and other resources, he argued, would not be enough to address the issue.

Wilson stated that the implementation of fundamental security protocols at a facility that is entirely within Multnomah County’s jurisdiction cannot be replaced by day centers or sobering crisis and stabilization centers.

Austin De Dios reports on programs, politics, and other topics in the area. You can reach him at @AustinDeDios, adedios@oregonian.com, or 503-319-9744.

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