The human side of security: Portland’s urban comeback

Photo credit: Downtown Portland Clean & Safe

 

How a groundbreaking public-private partnership is rebuilding downtown Portland through empathy-driven security

Not long ago, the downtown streets of Portland, Oregon bore the welts of civil unrest, economic collapse, and an opioid epidemic that swept through with deadly resolve. The boarded storefronts whispered of lost hope. Public plazas stood empty, overtaken by fear and fentanyl. The city’s heart was faltering.

But then something quiet and extraordinary began to take root.

GardaWorld Security, partnering with the Portland Metro Chamber’s Downtown Clean & Safe program, began a radically different kind of security patrol. Not with blaring sirens or barked orders, but with compassion, conversation, and crisis response training.

In just under three years, this partnership has become a national model for what urban recovery can look like when safety is reimagined as service.

 

The breaking point

Before GardaWorld Security arrived in August 2022, downtown Portland was reeling. A staggering 100+ nights of protest had left civic infrastructure in disrepair and civic trust in tatters. Fentanyl overdoses became daily trauma, often playing out in full public view. Storefronts were vacant. Workers were afraid. The city’s former security provider had lost public confidence, especially after a viral video showed a guard violently assaulting a houseless man.

That’s when the Chamber called for a change—not just of contractors, but of philosophy.

The RFP process attracted a wave of applicants, but GardaWorld Security stood apart. “We weren’t just offering bodies,” said Kevin McGraham, GardaWorld Security’s Portland Account Manager. “We offered a blueprint for community healing.”

 

A different kind of guard

Under GardaWorld Security’s leadership, the 213-block Clean & Safe district was transformed into something akin to a living social support network. Unarmed Public Safety Coordinators (PSCs), trained in trauma response and cultural sensitivity, became the new face of downtown safety.

These aren’t traditional security officers. They’re ambassadors, guides, and—at times—first responders. “We’ve saved over 160 people from overdose deaths with Narcan,” McGraham shared, with subdued pride. “We show up when 911 can’t. And people trust us.”

All PSCs wear body cameras. Armed supervisors carry Taser 7s. But the real force multiplier, McGraham emphasized, is empathy. “We’re not here to punish. We’re here to help people see themselves as part of this city again.”

 

A human-centered revolution

Instead of forcibly removing houseless individuals, PSCs engage with respectful dialogue. Instead of citing loiterers, they connect people with food banks and medical care. They hand out handwarmers during winter storms. They push broken wheelchairs up hills. One officer’s act of kindness might be just a wellness check. Another might be a life saved in the haze of an overdose.

“Recognition—not just pay—is what keeps them engaged,” McGraham said. “People want to be seen for the work they do. That’s what we offer: dignity for our officers and for every person they serve.”

The approach is working.

 

Measurable change, real lives

Since August 2022, the Clean & Safe district has seen:

• 17-point drop in theft and shoplifting, thanks to visible PSC patrols and merchant engagement.
• 16.6-point reduction in staff attrition, making it safer for downtown workers to stay.
• 33% rise in minority-owned businesses, suggesting renewed investor confidence.

Perhaps most tellingly, 90% of local commercial property owners—those who fund the Clean & Safe program—express satisfaction with the services. That’s up from 86% just one year ago.

“This isn’t just about security,” said McGraham. “It’s about building a city people believe in again.”

 

GardaWorld Security’s “Kudos Wall” in downtown Portland, overflowing with handwritten thank-you notes from business owners and residents alike, stands as a testament to a city remembering how to trust again.

 

From crisis to catalyst

What began as a fraught experiment in urban safety has become a case study in civic recovery. The Portland City Council recently awarded Clean & Safe a 10-year renewal—something few dared to imagine during the bleakest days of 2020.

GardaWorld Security’s footprint has more than doubled, from 23 officers to over 50. In October 2025, they’ll begin patrolling 77 more blocks. Organizations beyond the core—like the Oregon Convention Center and Portland’5 Centers for the Arts—have adopted the same model.

The secret? Hiring for emotional intelligence over enforcement experience. Training for empathy instead of escalation. And cultivating a culture where frontline officers feel like stakeholders in the city’s healing.

 

“We’re rebuilding a city”

McGraham still remembers the day Portland Police’s Central Precinct commander approached him and said, “I wish my officers were as good at engaging with the houseless as your team is.”

For a city that once viewed its downtown as broken beyond repair, that kind of praise is transformative.

And Portland isn’t alone. Officials from Oakland, San Francisco, and even internationally have visited Clean & Safe’s headquarters to learn how to bring this model home. “They ask us the same question,” McGraham recalled. “‘How do we do this?’”

His answer is as steady as the work: “You start by treating people like people.”

 

A model worth replicating

As cities across North America grapple with addiction, mental health crises, and deteriorating public trust, Portland’s turnaround offers a glimmer of possibility. It’s not perfect. It’s not over. But it’s real.

Through GardaWorld Security and the Clean & Safe program, safety is no longer about surveillance—it’s about presence. Community. Dignity. And most of all, hope.

“There’s nothing soft about compassion,” said McGraham. “It takes courage to care. But if you do it right, you don’t just keep a city safe. You help it remember who it is.”