PDX Police needs adequate staffing

Portland Police Bureau Recruiting
We support the Portland Police Bureau’s request of funds for 93 additional sworn officers, and nine additional non-sworn professional positions. These requests support the Mayor’s key priorities of increasing public safety and police accountability, maintaining the City’s critical infrastructure, and enhancing livability. The bureau’s requests for additional ongoing resources will advance the bureau’s mission and goals to provide 21st Century Policing services, to support organizational excellence and inclusion, and to rebuild police units so they can better deliver community policing to all residents.

Staffing within the PPB has been a critical issue for the bureau for many years, and there are several factors that impact this issue: recruitment and hiring, attrition and number of officers.

There are the fewer officers in the bureau as there were a decade ago, despite a 10 percent increase in Portland’s population. This request would increase the number of officer positions by approximately 10 percent–on par with Portland’s growth.

Click here to tell city council to invest in adequate police staffing

The Portland Police Bureau continues to face challenges in patrol staffing, which has led to declining response times. In the last five years, total 911 call volume has increased by over 22%. These calls include a 97% increase in stolen vehicle calls, 64% increase in unwanted persons calls and a 32% increase in disorder calls.

Without an increase in staffing, the response time for these calls will only grow, threatening the safety of all Portlanders.

We urge constituents with any public safety concerns to voice their support for this proposed budget.

Your voice in this conversation is essential, and we urge constituents to either submit written testimony, contact city commissioners or attend one of the upcoming community budget events:
 
Community Budget Forums
April 17, 2018, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Roosevelt High School
6941 N Central St, 97203
Bus lines 44 and 75
Most testimony by random drawing

Budget Committee Hearings
May 10, 2018, 6:00pm – 8:30pm, hearing to receive public testimony 
Council Chambers, Portland City Hall
1221 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR 97204 
 
May 16, 2018, 2:00pm, Council Action to approve City Budget, testimony heard
Council Chambers, Portland City Hall
1221 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR 97204
 
Utility Rate Review
May 17, 2018 (first reading), 2:00pm, second reading May 23, 2018, time TBD
Council Chambers, Portland City Hall
1221 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR 97204
 
TSCC Public Hearing 
June 6, 2018, 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Rose Room, Portland City Hall
1221 SW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97204
 
Council Action to Adopt Budget
June 7, 2018, 2:00pm
Council Chambers, Portland City Hall
1221 SW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97204

KGW: PDX has turned into TentCityUSA

Portland deserves safe and livable streets and public spaces.
We believe that the issue isn’t housing status but behavior.
Nonetheless …

Survey: 34% of Portlanders may leave the city because of homelessness
KGW is tackling the issue with a recent survey and television feature: #TentCityUSA

KGW writes: Homelessness has such a significant impact on Portlanders’ daily lives that 34 percent are considering moving out of the city because of the issue, according to a new survey from DHM Research.

In addition, more than half of Portlanders are dissatisfied with the way the mayor and police bureau are addressing homelessness.

KGW commissioned the survey as part of a larger project about homeless tent camping in Portland. The project, Tent City, USA, launches Monday at 6 p.m. on KGW-TV and online at tentcitypdx.com.

DHM Research, a nonpartisan and independent research and consulting firm, surveyed 300 Portlanders representative of the city’s population, based on age, gender, race, education level and area in which they live. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 5.7 percent.

The results show that homelessness is highly visible. The average Portlander sees someone living in a tent and someone panhandling five times a week. Residents said they see drug paraphernalia and human waste or urine more than twice a week.

Read more here

Portland Tribune: Police Passive with Homeless Population

Police passive with homeless population
Reposted from:
Police Passive with Homeless Population
Portland Tribune October 2015

Written by Peter Korn

Hayley Purdy can’t figure out why police officers bike, drive and walk by the social chaos she lives with on the North Park Blocks and do virtually nothing.

Throughout the summer Purdy and her neighbors documented the increasing disorder in their part of downtown. They watched the proliferation of illegal campsites and the garbage piling up and they’ve had a few angry confrontations with squatters over broad daylight drug dealing.

Daryl Turner says he knows why. The Portland Police union chief says street officers have been walking by situations involving illegal homeless camping and sidewalk obstruction when in years past they would have taken action. And that’s because city officials refuse to provide police with clear direction and support in dealing with the growing number of homeless people who violate city ordinances, according to Turner.

“We have never, ever, by any leadership, been given clear direction on how to deal with the homeless population on sidewalks and in parks,” Turner says. “Without clear direction, cops don’t know what the city wants.” Continue reading “Portland Tribune: Police Passive with Homeless Population”

Do You Know The Difference Between Policy and Law?

PortlandCityHall_640editedOne of the biggest questions we run into is “why isn’t law enforcement enforcing the law”. This is a great question but, also a complicated one. Herein lies the conundrum of law and policy. The State of Oregon’s legislature writes state laws. Local city government officials that “we” vote for and put into office set forth policy. Sometimes the law and policy collide when city officials take it upon themselves to set policy which overrides the law.

An example of this can be seen with state law prohibiting smoking in public places which took effect July 1, 2015. While the state law is pretty clear Portland City Council deemed the law unenforceable in their opinion and Amanda Fritz was quoted to say ‘peer pressure,’ not police, will enforce Portland policy. Therefore you will not see a reduction or impact whatsoever on smoking of any kind in public parks nor around play grounds like the one outside of Emerson School, nor will you see a reduction in the cigarette butts left behind.

Similar situations of policy trumping law would be site lie and inner city camping which are both illegal under State of Oregon Law. This particular issue was addressed in the Portland Tribune this week. City Hall has failed to give clear direction to police on what they can or cannot do.

“Assistant Police Chief Bob Day says he has made it clear to officers, for instance, that tents on public property should not be allowed. “We’ve talked about that on multiple occasions,” he says. However in recent discussions with Chief Day – he said “we can and should report illegal camping. That said, the police have to jump through several hoops to get people to move along – it may take 24 – 48 hours. And with understaffing this is not huge priority, but it can be done.

Therefore squeaky wheel gets the grease.” So, let’s get squeaking by calling non-emergency police to remove people from side walk blockage and from door ways. Tents, forts, sleeping bags are all illegal.

Additionally here are other state laws that we as a tax paying citizen have the right to demand be enforced:

1. Drug Free (School) Zones Under Oregon law. Under ORS 475.904 it is a Class A felony “for any person to manufacture or deliver a schedule I, II or III controlled substance within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising a public or private elementary, secondary or career school attended primarily by minors.”

All that has to be shown to obtain a conviction is that the person had more drugs on them then for personal use. That is enough to show an “intent to deliver.” State v. Rodriguez-Barrera, 213 Or. App. 56, 60, 159 P.3d 1201, 1203 (2007) (“possession of a controlled substance in a quantity that is inconsistent with personal use, when accompanied by possession of materials commonly associated with delivery, is sufficient to establish possession with intent to deliver the contr olled substance.”)

2. Dog attack – Oregon law. ORS 609.090 allows the police to impound a dog if it is a “pubic nuisance,” which includes a dog that is deemed to be a “potentially dangerous dog” further defined as a dog that: . . . “Without provocation and while not on premises from which the keeper may lawfully exclude others, inflicts physical injury on . . . a domestic animal . . . .” ORS 609.035(5).

3. Illegal camping. There are no Oregon or federal cases stating that Portland’s “no camping” ordinance is unconstitutional. To the contrary, in Anderson v. City of Portland, No. CIV. 08-1447-AA, 2011 WL 6130598, at *4 (D. Or. Dec. 7, 2011), federal Judge Anna Brown rejected a host of constitutional arguments against the ordinance

Recently, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Bushong found the same ordinance to be lawful and constitutional.

This summer our voices were heard by city hall and they took some action. The cooler weather has moved in and we are seeing less drifters and traveling gangs. But, this is the time when we need to push and make noise. If we don’t we run the risk of having another summer next year whereby the North Park Blocks are over-run and occupied by a street dwelling criminal element bent on affecting the quality of life in and around the park.

The only way that we will impact lasting change is by keeping our voices be heard. If we see any crime being committed it is our obligation as good neighbors to report it. If you are confused, which many are, by who to call when feel free to download the North Park Blocks Resource Sheet here  or consider the following:

If you witness or are subject to illegal behavior, please do not confront the perpetrator(s). PLEASE REPORT IT.

  • Crimes in progress or life threatening emergency: dial 911
  • Non-emergency (suspicious person/activity): Portland Police 503 823.3333
  • Park rule violations/drugs/alcohol/off leash dog/litter: Parks Ranger Dispatch 503 823.1637
  • Park maintenance issues: 503 823.4824
  • Illegally parked vehicles: Parking Patrol 503 823.5195
  • Excessive Noise Noise Control Office 503 823.7350
  • City/County Information and Referrals: 503 823.2781

Additionally, sign up to testify at the City Council meetings. Simply email Karla Moore via Karla.Moore-Love@portlandoregon.gov and let her know when you would like to provide the public testimony. City Council meetings are held on Wednesdays. Communications are the first item on the official agenda and they start at 9:30 a.m. (You may also fax at 503-823-4571 or call 503-823-4086 for more information).

Keep Portland Weird (But Safe)

PDX mounted police

This past summer the North Park Blocks experienced a dramatic rise in unlawful activity – traveling gangs, aggressive panhandlers, drugs, public sex, off-leash dog attacks. That situation was turned around when City Hall finally took notice and Portland Police stepped up their presence to enforce the law in the park.

We saw smart policing based on positive and supportive police interaction with citizens.  But increased police presence in the North Park Blocks required pulling scarce police resources from other Portland neighborhoods. Bottom line  – community-focussed policing is labor-intensive and Portland Police is understaffed to provide adequate safety city wide.

Statistics show that Portland Police is understaffed. The FBI national benchmark calls for 2.7 officers per 1000 residents and Portland has only 1.5. More stats here.

sign the petition

Public safety has made Portland one of America’s most livable cities. Our community needs our Police Bureau to take calls for service, investigate crimes, confront gang violence, and proactively engage with the public. Having enough police officers to manage these functions will keep Portland a great place to live.

Portland City Council must increase Police Bureau staffing levels to ensure there are enough police officers to meet the City’s public safety priorities.

The Portland Police Association has started a petition to Mayor Hales and Portland City Council. Send a message to City Council – Read more and sign the Petition.

pdx police stats
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