I recently moved out of Portland, though I still work and play in the city.
Sitting on the deck of my new home, listening to the peepers peep as Eli, my puppy, wanders and sniffs the earth we are blessed to call home, I contemplate safety.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`Qmx H@?56C :7 E96D6 @A6? 7:6=5D 2?5 D92565 H@@5D 2C6 >@C6 D64FC6 E92? E96 4C@H565 D:56H2=<D 2?5 42C\7:==65 DEC66ED @7 E@H?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`Qm$276EJ :D C6=2E:G6] x? E96 4:EJ[ x 6?4@F?E6C65 >@C6 A6@A=6 H9@ 76=E 6?E:E=65 E@ >J 3@5J 2?5 E96 A=62DFC6D E96J A6C46:G65 :E H@F=5 8:G6 E96>] w6C6[ x D:E ?@ =6DD q=24< @C u6>>6[ J6E 766= 2 D@CE @7 H2E497F= A6246]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm#@4<:?8 @? >J 36?49[ x C642== E96 2>@F?E @7 E:>6D A6@A=6 — AC65@>:?2?E=J H9:E6[ 4:D >6? — 3692G65 2D E9@F89 x H6C6 2? @3;64E 7@C E96> E@ >:DFD6j 2?5 C624E65 H:E9 2?86C 2?5 9@DE:=:EJ E@ >6 2DD6CE:?8 2 3@F?52CJ @C 7=2E @FE C6;64E:?8 E96>] (9:=6 E96 >:IEFC6 @7 C24:2= >:D@8J?J 92D C6>2:?65 AC6G2=6?E 7@C E96 5FC2E:@? @7 >J !@CE=2?5 6IA6C:6?46[ x 2> 368:??:?8 E@ =@@< 2E E96 4@CC6=2E:@? 36EH66? E96 D9:7E:?8 56>@8C2A9:4 — A2CE:4F=2C=J :? E96 t2DE t?5[ H:E9 :ED 4@?5@D 2?5 p:C3?3 D96== 2A2CE>6?ED — 2?5 E96 E@?6 2?5 =6G6= @7 762C E96D6 D:EF2E:@?D 3C:?8]k^Am
kAmv@?6 2C6 E96 52JD @7 36:?8 42E42==65 @FE @7 42CD @C 2DD\8C23365 :? 4=F3D] x?DE625 E96 92C2DD>6?E :D >@C6 D:?:DE6C]k^Am
kAmp 76H J62CD 28@[ 2 52C< 6IA6?D:G6 42C 7@==@H65 >6 9@>6[ 42FD:?8 >6 E@ DH:E49 >J C@FE6 2?5 H2?56C ?6:893@C:?8 DEC66ED F?E:= :E[ 96[ =@DE :?E6C6DE] w6 D2:5 96 925 D66? >6 2C@F?5 E@H?]k^Am
kAmp H9:=6 =2E6C[ 2 32C A2EC@? 2E u=2D< 3C@<6 E96 H:?5@H 5FC:?8 2? 2=E6C42E:@? :? H9:49 96 76=E 96 4@F=5 92G6 >J 2EE6?E:@? 2?5 72G@C] w6 D2:5 9:D 6I\H:76 :D 3=24<]k^Am
kAmt2C=:6C E9:D DF>>6C 2D 2 DH66E\7C:6?5 2?5 x H6C6 H2=<:?8[ 2 ?:46 3=24< ECF4< D=@H65 5@H? ?6IE E@ FD[ 2 J@FE9 92?8:?8 @FE E96 D:56] w6 :?7@C>65 FD E92E 96 925 A=2??65 E@ 688 FD[ 3FE E96? 492?865 9:D >:?5] (6 H6C6 =67E E@ H@?56C :7 >J DH66E\7C:6?5VD H9:E6?6DD 2?5 >2D4F=:?6 AC6D6?E2E:@? D2G65 FD 7C@> 92G:?8 E@ H2D9 688 @77 @FC 3@5:6D]k^Am
kAm|@DE C646?E=J[ 2 >2? 5C@G6 3J >6 H:E9 2 D=@H H9:DE=6[ EFC?65 2C@F?5 2?5 3@I65 >6 :?E@ >J G69:4=6] x EFC?65 2?5 =@@<65 2E 9:>[ x D9@FE65 2?5 DE2C65 9:> 5@H?] %9:D 5:5 ?@E 56E6C 9:>] x 8@E :?E@ E96 42C[ 96 925 EFC?65 2C@F?5[ 2?5 AF==65 FA 36D:56 >6[ 3@I:?8 >6 :?E@ >J A2C2==6=\A2C<65 G69:4=6] %9:D >2? H2D D>:=:?8] %9:D >2? 76=E 6?E:E=65 E@ >J 3@5J 2?5 DA246] w6 324<65 @77[ @?=J 27E6C x 8@E =@F5 2?5 3:8 2?5 AFD965 324< C6A62E65=J] x 925 E@ DH2==@H >J C286 2?5 AC:@C:E:K6 >J D276EJ E@ =62G6] w6 324<65 9:D G69:4=6 FA D=:89E=J[ AC6E6?5:?8 E92E 96 925 >62?E E@ A2C< 2== 2=@?8]k^Am
kAmq6:?8 q=24< :? H9:E6 DA246D :D 52?86C@FD] q6:?8 q=24< 2?5 u6>>6 :? 2 4:EJ H9@D6 H9:E6?6DD 2?5 6?E:E=6>6?E 2C6 8C@H:?8 C6>:?5D >6 x ?665 E@ 36 G:8:=2?E 2?5 D92C6 >J 6IA6C:6?46D[ 3642FD6 D:=6?46 :D?VE H@C<:?8] q642FD6 E96 4@?5@D 2?5 ?:46 42CD 2C6 DE:== 4@>:?8] q642FD6 H6 =:G6 :? 2 4@F?ECJ H9:49 DE:== BF6DE:@?D H96E96C q=24< {:G6D |2EE6C 2?5 76>>6D 2C6 7@C465 E@ D9@FE E@ 36 962C5]k^Am
