The Portland City Council has voted to take nearly two million dollars away from the Portland Police Bureau and give it to Parks and Recreation instead. The 7-5 decision came after months of debate and reflects a growing trend in the city to cut police funding in favor of other priorities, as reported by Apple News.
Mayor Keith Wilson had originally proposed increasing the police budget to 318 million dollars, up from 308 million last year. Still, the council voted to shift 1.9 million of those funds to keep parks afloat.
This decision comes on the heels of Councilor Candace Avalos’ push to move the money, citing the needs of parks in her district. Avalos argued it was not about cutting police effectiveness but about a balanced approach to public safety.
Chief Bob Day pushed back, saying these cuts would have real consequences, including less overtime for cracking down on street racing, car theft, and shoplifting. “This is not the time to make these adjustments,” Day warned.
“This is a time to build up what we’re doing and improve response times and property crime investigations.”
The decision to cut police funding is not new for Portland. In April, Portlanders responded positively to support cutting police to help balance the city budget. About 42 percent of residents said they approved of police cuts, while 55 percent disapproved.
Councilor Steve Novick said he was surprised by the results, which showed more support for police cuts than he expected.
Critics say these cuts are reckless at a time when the city can least afford them. Portland Police Association President Sergeant Aaron Schmautz said removing the 1.9 million dollars in funding was more than a cut for inflation and would lead to a decrease in services.
Business owners like Matthew de Gruyter of Next Level Burger say they have turned to private security because police are stretched too thin.
The Portland Timbers and Trail Blazers also warned the city that pulling funds from police will only make response times worse for everyone.
This debate comes as other liberal cities face chaos over public safety and immigration issues. In Los Angeles, violent riots broke out in June over ICE raids, prompting Marines to be deployed to restore order.
Portland’s city council insists that police funding is still going up overall. However, with inflation and cost-of-living increases, Chief Day says the reality is that police services will be cut to make up the difference.
The numbers are clear: police funding is not keeping up with rising costs. While parks may get a short-term boost, Portland’s residents are left to wonder how long they can count on police to keep the city safe.
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