Sex, Drugs, and Unlocked Doors: Northwest Success Inc. and DPI Security in the News

In two recent articles, Willamette Week reported that Multnomah County had temporarily shut down its Behavioral Health Resource Center (BHRC) in downtown Portland, Oregon, due to allegations that employees of DPI Security and Northwest Success Inc., the Center’s security and janitorial service providers, and a third contractor, had used cannabis and cocaine at the center, had questionable sexual relationships with coworkers, and had blackmailed each other by threatening to reveal each other’s behavior.

What Willamette Week did not report is that DPI Security and Northwest Success Inc. are two subsidiaries of the same company.  Northwest Success Inc. and DePaul Industries (which operates the brand DPI Security) are both wholly controlled by The DPI Group Inc. Each of these organizations is a non-profit that share the same CEO, chief operating officer, and chief legal officer as well as similar missions to connect people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. They have multiple contracts with Multnomah County and other public agencies.

Also not reported in Willamette Week is that Northwest Success Inc. was associated with security problems at the BHRC shortly before it was shuttered, according to public records. On March 13, Northwest Success’ project manager at BHRC lost a set of keys to the building. The following day, a program participant covertly spent the night in the center while it was closed, in an electrical closet to which only DPI Security and Northwest Success employees had key or card access. The following morning, center staff found the electrical panel doors open and a cigarette butt and toilet paper on the closet floor. Two days after that, Northwest Success’ project manager, Tony France, informed the County that he had still not found the keys he had lost, prompting an emergency meeting of County employees to take inventory all keys and “eliminate security risks.”

The County eliminated DPI Security at BHRC and replaced it with another service provider, but Northwest Success Inc. remained in place as its janitorial contractor. Meanwhile, DPI Security still provides security services for more than a dozen County facilities, including the Central Library, Gateway Children's Center, health clinics, and the Multnomah Building, the County’s administrative headquarters.

Should Multnomah County be working with the DPI Group Inc., and its affiliates including Northwest Success, Inc.? They have a record of other major problems, such as:

·       Bankruptcy - DePaul Industries declared bankruptcy in 2016.

·       Revocation of tax-exempt status - The IRS revoked DPI Group Inc.’s tax-exempt status temporarily in 2021 for failure to file a tax return for three consecutive years.

·       Disrespect for workers with disabilities - In 2021, Northwest Success Inc. promised to recognize its workers’ labor union once they demonstrated majority support. Once they did so, the company repudiated its commitment, claiming it was void in part because its employees with disabilities might have “capacity issues.” “For any Oregon Forward contractor to suggest that people with disabilities cannot make decisions about their own terms of employment, or exercise their rights as workers, is extremely troubling,” said Meghan Moyer, DRO’s Public Policy Director, when asked about this topic.

We believe Multnomah County should take a hard look at these companies' practices, and consider other, responsible contractors to clean and secure public facilities.