Private security hand out 2,274 park exclusion over a one-year period

During a one-year period between November of 2006 and November of 2007 the Portland Patrol Inc., a private security agency issued 2,274 park exclusions in downtown, according to the latest Portland Patrol Parks Report.

The Portland Patrol Inc. is primarily funded by the Portland Business Alliance to assist law enforcement with security downtown. The private agency has the capacity to enforce public policy in parks, and has come under scrutiny from homeless and civil rights activists for the lack of public oversight.

More than half of the exclusions handed out by PPI occurred in Waterfront Park with 1, 385. PPI handed out 286 exclusions in the North Park Blocks, while the private group doled out 132 exclusions in both the South Park Blocks and Obryant Square.