Crime-Fighting Toilet Coming To Shoreline Park

SHORELINE, WA — City officials are preparing to buy a crime-fighting toilet to replace one at a city park that was damaged by fire.

At its next meeting on July 15, the City Council is expected to approve spending $115,000 to buy a Portland Loo — a special type of toilet designed to withstand the urban environment. Shoreline's loo will be installed at Echo Lake Park.

The loo was created more than a decade ago when city officials in Portland needed a durable public bathroom to handle a growing homeless population. The loos are made of curved stainless steel, and don't have parts that can be ripped out or damaged, according to the manufacturer. They also have open tops and bottoms, making it hard for prostitution and drug activity to take place.

Echo Lake Park's bathrooms have been a magnet for criminal activity, city officials say.

"The existing restroom facility at Echo Lake Park has experienced severe societal issues, including vandalism and criminal activity. The restroom has also been closed due to fire damage. Staff believes that this is partly due to its current site configuration and location at the back of the park," city administrators wrote in a memo to City Council.

Nearby cities like Seattle, Oak Harbor, and Olympia all have installed Portland Loos. But the toilets are also being used outside the Pacific Northwest in cities like Denver, Boston, New York, and Cincinnati.