Over half of Portland residents want to leave city after defunding police led to sprawling homelessness and spikes in crime - as business is forced to turn to ROBOT cop to patrol its property

A majority of Portland voters would move to another town if given the opportunity, a new poll found, after defunding police has led to spikes in homelessness and crime in the West Coast city. 

In fact, the issue has become so dire the owner of Oregon's largest office building, U.S. Bancorp Tower, has to turn to a security robot to guard its property.

The autonomous device named 'Rob 'is 5-foot 5-inches tall, weighs 420 pounds and patrols the perimeter of the parking garage next to the downtown building 24/7. 

It is unable to call 911 but has 4K cameras, thermal imaging, can read license plates, issues alerts 'when banned individuals are on site' and has a two-way intercom system that allows the public to speak with the security desk. 

Unico Properties, the tower's landlord, refused to disclose how much Rob costs but a similar K5 robot made by the same California robotics company costs as much as $1,200 per week to operate. 

Unico Properties and Portland Street Art Alliance unveiled a city-funded 120-foot mural this week that sits on the U.S. Bancorp Tower parking garage walls.

The mural is constantly being patrolled by security robot Rob as a way to improve security in the area which 'has really suffered' since the pandemic. 

'It’s like interacting with a human, because there is a human on the other side,' Keren Eichen of Unico Properties claimed. 

'If you stop and speak to the robot, you know that there’s someone on the other side who’s answering your questions who can give you directions, can tell you happy holidays.

'This is easier than staffing security because he doesn’t get tired, he doesn’t get cold.' 

Eichen added her company worked with the city to make the part of downtown Portland 'a beautiful, walkable, must-see destination for locals and visitors alike.'

The robot is the first of its kind to be deployed in Portland.

Portland officials cut millions from its police budgets in June 2020 following the Black Lives Matter protests and the growing 'defund the police' movement.

But following a rise in crime, homelessness and drugs in the city, Portland officials reversed course and increased its $230million police budget by $5.2million a year later. 

However, more than half of voters in Portland would still consider leaving the city if they could afford to, according to a poll commissioned by the Portland police union.

It found that almost two-thirds of people believe the city is 'on the wrong track' and 68 percent say it is 'losing what made it special.'

While 74 percent are worried that either they or their family members will be victims of crime in the city, as 87 percent are dissatisfied with the state of public safety. 

Roughly 70 percent said the city needs more police officers and nearly 80 percent said crime has increased in Portland. 

Mayor Ted Wheeler has insisted that crime in most categories has declined this year.

'This city has been through a lot of trauma,' he said. 'My message to people who are disillusioned are two-fold.

'First, I hear you and I empathize with your frustration with what the city has been through. 

'I would also encourage you to stick around, because the tide has already turned.'

There were 71,216 offenses committed between October 2022 and October 2023, including 96 homicides, 544 sex offenses, 25,233 larceny offenses and 1,352 robberies. 

Whereas between October 2019 and October 2020, there were 66,038 offenses committed, which included 54 homicides, 640 sex offences, 25,623 larceny offenses and 1,105 robberies.

DailyMail.com has contacted Portland City Council and Unico Properties for comment.