Portland dealing with police shortage amid record number of homicides
Fox News' Christina Coleman reports that 'Portland is dealing with a public safety crisis' since the defund the police movement began.
Portland residents may have had delayed response times for their 911 calls on Monday due to a number of "critical incidents" and the police department's "staffing shortage," the department tweeted.
Police were only responding to priority 1 and priority 2 calls, which are for incidents in which a life may be in immediate danger or with a potential for physical injury, as well as major property crimes.
Officers were not responding to other incidents, such as any crime in progress that doesn't pose an immediate danger to persons or property.
On Monday morning, police responded to reports of multiple armed carjackings in northern Portland that resulted in one victim being shot. Officers fatally shot the suspect when they arrived at the scene.
In this Sept. 5, 2020, file photo, police use chemical irritants and crowd control munitions to disperse protesters during a demonstration in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Portland Police Department said in January that it is facing "critical" staffing shortages "due to budget cuts, retirements and separations, and the backlog of needed training for new officers caused by the pandemic."
PORTLAND POLICE SEARCHING FOR TWO SUSPECTS WHO FIRED MULTIPLE ROUNDS AT OFFICERS, STRIKING CRUISER
Last year, 55 officers retired and another 29 separated from the department, leaving 855 sworn members on the force.
Portland Police released an image of the crime scene where a man was fatally shot by police on June 25, 2021 (Portland Police Bureau)
After cutting the police budget by $15 million in June 2020 amid calls to defund the police, the Portland City Council voted last month to bump law enforcement's funds by $5.2 million.
The $5.2 million will be used to hire 200 sworn officers and 100 unarmed community safety officers over the next three years.
Portland has already seen a record number of 72 homicides this year.
In this Aug. 5, 2019, file photo, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler poses for a photo outside City Hall in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)
Mayor Ted Wheeler lamented the state of Portland last month as he advocated for the $5.2 million bump.
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"Many Portlanders no longer feel safe in their city," Wheeler said at a news conference.
"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."
