"Many Portlanders no longer feel safe in their city," Wheeler said during a news conference Wednesday. "Business owners have closed up shop, for fear of doing business in high-risk areas. Commuters fear for their safety, whether taking public transport or going by foot. Parents are scared to let their children play outside."
Portland has seen its most challenging year, with a record number of 72 homicides, exceeding its previous full-year record of 66 in 1987. Nationally, homicides increased by nearly 30% from 2019 to 2020, based on FBI data. In Portland, deadly violence grew faster than almost all major cities, with an 83% increase in homicides in 2020.
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In the fiscal year 2023, Wheeler said he wants to start increasing the police bureau's staffing numbers by 300 officers — 200 sworn officers and 100 unarmed public safety specialists — over the next three years.
To attract more officers to the force, Wheeler proposes $25,000 signing bonuses to the first 50 officers or public safety specialists. He is also in favor of hiring back 25 retired police officers.
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"Our police bureau staffing levels are at record lows and based on projected retirements, staffing levels will continue (to decrease) unless we take decisive action now," Wheeler said.
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Since August 2020, about 200 officers have left the department. In their exit interviews, many mentioned low morale, lack of support from city officials, and burnout from months of racial justice protests, which often concluded in plumes of tear gas before dying down last fall.
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Currently, the Portland Police Department is around 130 officers below its authorized strength.
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As Portland has exceeded more than 1,000 shootings this year, some residents, spectators injured by gunfire, and city leaders say the police are fighting to keep the city safe. Portland also saw repeated riots in the summer of 2020 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd's death led to national 'defund the police' protests.
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Nationally, there was a 45% rise in the retirement rate and a nearly 20% increase in resignations from officers in 2020-2021 compared to the previous year, according to a June survey from the Police Executive Research Forum.
Smaller police departments across the country have experienced staffing issues in the past year after larger cities such as New York City, Seattle, and Los Angeles cut funds to police departments. The staffing shortages are currently being exacerbated by city vaccine mandates which have caused some officers to leave their positions or be fired for not complying.
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