Central Eastside Together Hires Securitas as District’s New Safety Provider

Today, the Central Eastside Together (CET) Board of Directors and Safety Committee announced that the security firm Securitas will be the District’s new safety provider.

As an Enhanced Service District, CET provides safety, cleaning and district enhancement for Central Eastside businesses and residents beyond the City of Portland’s basic services. These services are funded through a Property Management License fee paid to the City of Portland’s Revenue Division and distributed to CET to steward for maximum community impact.  

“The Central Eastside Together and the Central Eastside Industrial Council have worked together to address and advocate for the cleaning, safety and accessibility needs in the District,” said Carolyne Holcomb, Interim Executive Director of both organizations. “We have hosted three public listening sessions and received hundreds of survey responses through public engagement efforts. The Board and Safety Committee have worked hard to identify a new provider; we are confident Securitas is the right partner for our community.”

CET has been in active conversations with potential security providers since March 2023 through a Request for Proposals process, which required providers to meet the District's reporting needs and the City’s Sustainable Procurement Policy requirement.

As a national security firm with offices in Vancouver, Wash., Securitas meets both requirements and will provide safety services starting Oct. 27. The security firm will double its staff in the Central Eastside for an initial 60-day period to help re-establish a safety presence in the District.

Based on community feedback, Securitas’ Safety Ambassadors will prioritize:

• Presence patrol

• De-escalation

• Chaperone services for individuals needing safety going to/from their cars or public transit

• 15-minute response time

In addition, some of the incidents that Securitas will regularly track include the number of incidents or requests for services related to vandalism, emergency mental health, police contacts and chaperoned walks, as well as providing an annual report to CET.

“We know that safety is among the top concerns in our community,” said Mike Larkin, CET Board Chair. “We will continue to prioritize safety resources in this area and collaborate with our affiliate organization Central Eastside Industrial Council, the City and Portland Police Bureau to continue advocating for the businesses, residents and visitors of the Central Eastside.”

For questions, contact lance@coateskokes.com.