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With so much scrutiny on Rapid Response, it’s important to understand what they do and why they do it. Rapid Response is not the sole initiator of sweeps, but they are also not a neutral entity in the facilitation of sweeps.
As mentioned before, Rapid Response does not solely conduct sweeps. However, it is extremely alarming when necessary and desired trash and clean up services are paired with the same agency who conducts sweeps.
Rapid Response will collect and store people’s belongings after a sweep. However, it is not accurate to assert Rapid Response does not throw away the belongings of houseless people. They absolutely do.
Please understand the City of Portland’s property retrieval system is atrocious. This was one of the top issues that inspired the launch of our campaign. You can learn more in this thoughtful article with interviews of folks from our coalition: https://www.portlandmercury.com/feature/2019/12/05/27586044/acceptable-losses
Ultimately, Rapid Response decides what belongings to trash and what belongings to keep. Even if belongings are stored, that doesn’t mean they are accessible. Hours are limited, the retrieval process is complicated, and belongings end up tossed out.
Rapid Response is contractually obligated to conduct sweeps. That contract is also a contract they willfully entered. They have a vested interest in the continuation of sweeps: Profit. They receive $4.5m from the city per year (which we organized against): https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/01/07/27773823/city-council-to-extend-homeless-camp-cleanup-program-for-one-year
Don’t mistake these public-private partnerships as a “better alternative” to Portland Police. Public Private Partnerships such as security contracts, Enhanced Services Districts, and Rapid Response are simply policing by another name.
