<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3ChaGm_0lPJYevE00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3ChaGm_0lPJYevE00" width="1920" height="1080" ><p>PORTLAND, Ore. — The owner of a vintage sportswear boutique store in Old Town said he decided to relocate to Northeast Alberta after four years due to the spike in crime in the area.</p><p>Chris Yen owns the store "Laundry," located on Northwest 4th Avenue, since 2019. Yen said during that time, he's dealt with shoplifting and he and his staff have been threatened.</p><p>"Everyone who has worked here has had weapons drawn on them," Yen said. "Knives, guns, bottles, pipes, machetes."</p><p>Yen said thousands of dollars worth of merchandise were stolen in a large break-in. He said they know the perpetrator of one of the break-ins but he was never prosecuted. Yen said he's called police during all of these incidents but no one has been prosecuted. </p><p>"If there aren't any charges filed and there's no prosecution and there's no follow through and there's no consequences to committing crime against businesses, then there will just be more," Yen said.</p><p>He said Old Town has changed a lot since he opened his business four years ago.</p><p>His new space on Northeast 17th and Alberta is smaller than the old space in Old Town and rent is more expensive, but Yen said those are worthwhile sacrifices for safety.</p><p>Foot traffic has also been heavier in the new neighborhood, he said. </p><p>"Alberta has really been resurging," Yen said. "And there's a lot more diversity up here than I recognized a few months ago."</p><p>Yen said small businesses in Old Town need more support and he wants the district attorney to prosecute more criminals. </p><div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AhSYBCA01mg?rel=0" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div></div></body>

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Crime in Old Town forces Portland store owner to move shop to east side

PORTLAND, Ore. — The owner of a vintage sportswear boutique store in Old Town said he decided to relocate to Northeast Alberta after four years due to the spike in crime in the area. Chris Yen owns the store \"Laundry,\" located on Northwest 4th Avenue, since 2019. Yen said...

PORTLAND, Ore. — The owner of a vintage sportswear boutique store in Old Town said he decided to relocate to Northeast Alberta after four years due to the spike in crime in the area. Chris Yen owns the store "Laundry," located on Northwest 4th Avenue, since 2019. Yen said...