First person arrested for violating Portland’s camping ban

Alasdair Macdonald was offered shelter and refused to take it, so Portland police arrested him. But the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office refused to jail him.

[essebug]

He doesn't want a tiny home or a place to live because there are rules there. They don't want to follow rules that is why a lot of them choose to be on the streets instead of moving up in life.

[casienwhey]

The sheriff should resign and become a homeless advocate.

[Ralphy-zv]

The founding fathers wanted us to have the freedom to be homeless if we so choose

[dirkd]

1:00 the gentlemen states he's is being forced to live in a tiny home. That is not correct he is being forced to obey the law and not live on the street or private property. He can go where ever he likes and live where he chooses as long as he obeys the Law. Im sure there is no law requiring people to accept living in a tiny home.

[katie_otoole]

I understand one homeless person needing shelter but, 3, 600 campsites is a city within a city.

[willieverusethis]

It costs over $79, 000 a year to house an inmate in Oregon. The prisons are over capacity, with over 12, 000 prisoners. Jailing 3, 600 homeless people from Portland alone does not seem like a very reasonable or cost effective strategy. I think we need to develop some new institutions to deal with this problem.

[connor_flanigan]

"homeless people don't want to be homeless."
Mr McDonald "hold my meth pipe"

[schlazer-merv]

Nice to see Portland finally making some changes in the Homeless Problem.

[TheBoyjah]

Oregon is FULL of wide open spaces where the homeless can camp without interrupting the life of people who are forced to pay taxes and expect clean, safe places to live.

[signalstrength]

We have been hearing for years that Portland's homeless crisis is due to the high price of rent. This man is being offered rent free housing but he declines. Portland's homeless crisis is overwhelmingly due to addiction not the price of rent. Illegal camps enable addiction in ways that even rent free housing can't match. Until we face this reality Portland's homeless crisis will only get worse.

[rirkc]

That's no "solution" to the problem. Good job Portland.

[markmiranda]

So what about college students sleeping in their cars? Would they start arresting people whose just refuse to pay high cost rent by sleeping in their cars?

Why not give people the chance to advance in life by saving money instead of punishing them.


I don’t think many Americans understand that state will have to raise taxes to meet the already demanding debt. Taxes increase = homelessness

[cdubv]

Get rid of bottle returns for 10 cents and reschedule the narcotics law.

[stevepark]

rather go to jail than go to a tiny house!" PPD...."Challenge accepted!" 🤣

[krislarsen]

Remember if the police offer you shelters most of the time it's Because those shelters can actually be more dangerous sometimes. And more miserable.

[GM-qhki]

These are the type of people that can’t be fixed! He needs to get the hell out of town and go buy some property somewhere and he can do all the camping he’d like!

[Mauipokepoi]

When did they quit being bums and hobo's?
They take every tax handout but contribute nothing!

[williamryan]

Funny the city isn't arresting or violating narcotics trafficking laws.

[PonkyKong]

Force her resignation. Enforce anti vagrancy laws. Don't tolerate it.

[amandad]

They need to get these people off the sidewalks!