Portland cracks down but homeless don’t come north

As Portland police continue cracking down on homeless encampments, one might wonder — is this affecting Vancouver?

The short answer is no. Transients who live on the Portland side of the Columbia River tend to stay there, said Diane McWithey, executive director of Share.

“There really isn’t a lot of crossover,” she said.

The local homeless outreach organization said it hasn’t seen an uptick in the number of people seeking services after the Portland Police Bureau recently began its sweep of transients living on city sidewalks.

The enforcement effort started after Portland Mayor Charlie Hales became more troubled by the homeless residing near City Hall.

With few incentives for single transients to cross the state line, Share didn’t anticipate any increase. Vancouver has more services for homeless families, while Portland typically serves more single adults, McWithey said.

Those who tend to travel back and forth frequently are runaway youth from Vancouver, which isn’t a new trend, she said.

Transients, in general, are not a high priority for Vancouver police, said Cmdr. Dave King.

The city hasn’t had problems with people sleeping on sidewalks, and homeless camps are often left alone.

If someone causes problems or a homeowner calls police, they will respond.

“It’s not against the law to be a transient,” King said.

Patty Hastings: 360-735-4513; http://twitter.com/col_cops; patty.hastings@columbian.com