Increase Public Safety
Portland is facing a crisis, and the safety of our communities is at stake. The responsibility of keeping the public safe has not been met by our City Council, and the consequences are evident: Portland is no longer the safe city we once knew.
But there's hope. I have a vision to restore safety in every neighborhood of Portland, and I'm committed to making it a reality. We can do this by establishing a specialized police force, a dedicated team comprising diverse and passionate men and women who are rigorously trained to protect our city. We have the power to provide every citizen in Portland with the security they deserve, and the time to act is now.
Our police bureau is grappling with staffing shortages caused by budget cuts, and we're struggling to recruit and retain officers. Currently, we have just one working officer for every 827 residents, a ratio that hasn't been this low in decades and falls well below the national average. This leaves all our communities vulnerable to crime, and that's simply unacceptable.
To address this, I propose increasing the budget for the Portland Police Bureau and restoring our police force. I advocate for the creation of a team of 1500 highly specialized and trained law enforcement officers. We need to kickstart new initiatives to attract and reward top-tier candidates. Portland deserves the best and the brightest to protect its people.
Furthermore, our current District Attorney, Mike Schmidt, has failed in his duty to prosecute crimes effectively. He's made it clear that he won't prosecute for property damage and other crimes and has championed the defunding of the police. These misguided policies have wreaked havoc on downtown Portland, with vandals and arsonists disguising themselves as "protesters" and causing widespread destruction.
But let me be clear: I also believe in accountability. I support the use of body cameras and community oversight to ensure transparency and trust between the police and the community. I'm also a strong advocate for reforming police unions, which at times hinder efforts to remove bad actors, as we've seen in cases like Derek Chauvin's. Together, we can bring about the change that Portland needs. It's time for action, not just promises. Your vote can make this vision a reality.