Multnomah County security spending was modest before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the years since, those costs have ballooned.
In 2019, the county spent $1.66 million on contracted security services, county data shows. By the end of the 2026 fiscal year, that spending is expected to total over $14 million, including $364,000 for a security detail for Chair Jessica Vega Pederson.
The massive leap in spending is a sign of the times, officials said. Spokesperson Denis Theriault said in a statement that “increased acuity of disruptive and threatening public behavior” has warranted a larger security presence…