Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We appreciate that you have been working with community policing and are sorry to hear that the issue is persisting. We urge you call police to report disorderly conduct so that an officer can respond as soon as possible and try to resolve the issue. The non-emergency number for dispatch is 207-874-8575. We will continue to look into the issue and get back to you soon. Thank you for your patience.

Thank you. I appreciate your attention to this neighborhood concern. This escalating situation is bothersome to other residents whose homes are adjacent to the troublesome area...they just haven't known what to do about it. They do now.

The police response has been timely and appropriate. We are grateful to them. But frankly, the problem will persist as long as the hoop remains available for public use. It needs to go. None of us wants to keep calling the cops on kids...we're not monsters, just adults who cherish the undisturbed tranquility of our neighborhood. It makes no sense that anyone should be allowed to import a disturbance of the peace into the commonly shared space on a daily basis when there are city playgrounds in the vicinity which are safer and isolated from residences.

Whatever you can do to bring this to an end will be greatly appreciated.

To anyone interested...the two ordinances that pertain to the concerns listed above have been provided by Portland PD:

Sec. 17-16. Curfew for minors under fifteen. No parent, legal guardian or other person having the care and control of a child under the age of fifteen (15) years shall permit such child to be or remain in or on any of the streets, ways or public places of the city after 9:00 p.m., unless such child shall be engaged in the performance of some lawfully authorized employment or shall be in the course of active travel over the streets, ways or public places between a specific point of origin and a specific destination or shall be accompanied by such parent, legal guardian or other adult person.

Sec. 17-17. Disorderly conduct...(c) No person shall in, on, or adjacent to any of the streets, ways or public places, make, continue, or cause to be made or continued any loud, unnecessary or unusual noises which shall either annoy, disturb, injure or endanger the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others. The sounding of any horn or signalling device, except as a danger warning; the playing of any radio, musical instrument, phonograph or any other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in such manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring inhabitants and passers-by; the use of any loudspeaker or amplifier for the purpose of commercial advertising or attraction of the public to a specific building, location or business, yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing shall be considered to be loud, disturbing, and unnecessary noises, but such enumeration shall not be deemed exclusive.

Now we know.

Yes we should ban all playing of sports in residential neighborhoods and tell these evil kids to stay inside and play video games so as not to disturb the gentrifiers.

These kids are doing nothing wrong...they're being kids, having fun...it's the way life should be. That's why there are safe places set aside for them where they can enjoy unrestrained enthusiasm without disturbing the peace. Everybody has rights. That's why we can't all do our thing in the same place at the same time. Have you ever had to listen to 12-14 kids bouncing basketballs on the street outside your windows, screeching their joyful glee with high pitched preadolescent voices incessantly for, say 4-5 hours every day and well into the night while you're unable to work, read, study, write, listen to music, etc. because the sanctity of your home is overridden by the noise they make? Try it. Then let's talk.

This is not a complaint about kids. It's a neighbor's good idea gone bad. And it needs to fixed.

And btw, unless you're a Trump supporter, calling people names is not a generally accepted way to have a decent adult conversation.

sandy is known on click fix as ms negative at times she does help at times:)

I don't see her comment as negative...it just misses the point that with rights come responsibilities. Living in close proximity requires each of us to be aware of and to respect the peace of the entire community...and how our behavior affects it. As shown above there are laws and ordinances clearly spelling it out, in case there's any doubt about how this community living thing works.

On our neighborhood streets children learn they are part of something larger than themselves...and for our part as responsible and caring adults we provide for their need to just be themselves without diminishing the quality of our own lives in the process. Therefore, playgrounds!. It's all about respect. We all live with behavioral constraints which we learn to take in stride. Children need to be taught what we as adults take for granted...it really does take a village!

BTW...Portland PD is awesome...I've seen nothing but courtesy and respect in the way they deal with kids...never anything heavy handed up here on the Hill. They deserve our respect in return.

that was her reply to you're comments tell these evil kids to stay inside and play video games
so as not to disturb the gentrifiers Is all negative reply's in a way it says oh well live with it kids will be kids.
the part about the gentrifiers is a jab at the rich who live on the hill mostly now

Yes we should ban all playing of sports in residential neighborhoods and tell these evil kids to stay inside and play video games so as not to disturb the gentrifiers.

I haven't reached the "live with it stage" while there's still hope to find an acceptable balance where everyone's needs are met. It's in the works.

See new complaint under "Property Damage"

ware is the complaint you filed i don't see any thing new

It would be good to know why the kids prefer to play ball there. Has anyone asked. If there are city courts very close by, is there a valid reason why the kids don't want to go to them. The incessant, hours-long bouncing of the basketball would make me nuts, too.

basketballs...plural...like opinions, everybody has one!

the hoop is closer to their home than other play spaces but still beyond the view of their parents. i can see why it's so attractive. at their age i'd be doing the same thing!

here we go again...new complaint:

5 minutes ago several of the basketballers crossed the street and did some gratuitous damage to my garden...they were seen by me throwing rocks into the water feature at the fish that live there and broke several leaves off the hosta plants surrounding it, leaving them lying on the sidewalk.

i'm getting totally fed up with this disturbing and destructive behavior. instead of relaxing at home i now have to maintain near constant vigilance over my property when this undisciplined and unsupervised group is present. is this the way life should be?

after checking the level of damage i spoke to the entire group and asked them to leave my property alone, then warned them the cops would be called immediately if i saw them anywhere near the garden. this time i sent an email to janine kaserman instead of making that call.

i'm in my mid-70's and have already had 2 heart attacks. the stress these kids are causing is elder abuse. am i required to tolerate this in order to be considered a good neighbor?

Thank you to everyone involved. Community policing was able to work with the owner of the basketball hoop, neighborhood youth, and neighbors, to reach a resolution that will keep the hoop in place and allow use that is still respectful to the neighborhood. Thank you to all who participated, your patience and reasonable points of view were critical in this success.

Thanks for fixing this issue!

Thanks for fixing this issue!

thanks for fixing this issue :)

Thanks for fixing this issue!