New Officer Hires Give Hope to Thin-Staffed Org. Police Bureau

Sept. 29, 2022

“Numbers like this, particularly in the field of law enforcement, have been hard to come by recently,” said Portland's mayor about the city's first measurable police staffing increase in years.

By Austin De Dios

Source oregonlive.com

The Portland Police Bureau has added 20 officers to its ranks as its members and some in the community have complained about thin staffing.

Portland police now employ 793 sworn members, up from 773 – the lowest count since 1989, according to police. Among the 793 sworn members are 537 officers today, an increase from 509 in May.

Police Chief Chuck Lovell cheered what the bureau called the first measurable staffing increase in years.

“It’s a challenging time right now to work in law enforcement, and I’m gratified to see so many people stepping forward to take on that challenge,” Lovell said in a written statement Thursday.

The new numbers won’t translate immediately into a larger patrol force; the 20 officers must undergo an 18-month training program first. They join 87 other officers currently in the process.

The Police Bureau also hired three new public safety support specialists – non-sworn, unarmed members in uniform – raising that count to 23. These specialists respond to lower-priority calls such as bicycle thefts and vehicle break-ins.

Five other staffers joined the bureau as well, including records specialists, a victim advocate and a police desk clerk.

This is the latest push in hiring to help close the gap of sworn officers, which police have cited as a reason for slow response times. In July, the Bureau hired 16 officers and one safety support specialist. Salaries run between $75,000 and $107,000 a year, according to police.

Last fall, Mayor Ted Wheeler proposed hiring more than 200 officers and 100 unarmed specialists over three years, and attempted to hire back 25 retired police officers to help fill the gap in the meantime. Hiring efforts are only now seeing success, police said.

“Numbers like this, particularly in the field of law enforcement, have been hard to come by recently,” Wheeler, who serves as police commissioner, said in a statement. “I truly believe that this group, and the growing numbers of people who want to serve the community as police officers, heralds a new and hopeful chapter in our city’s future.”

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