PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Police Chief Bob Day said he will have to cut around 6% from his bureau’s budget after city councilors voted to approve a nearly $8.5 billion city budget.Some city councilors are looking to put back what they cut. But as it stands, the chief is not pleased with what he is left with for this next fiscal year.“If there are alternatives out there, then let’s take them,” Day said. “But there aren’t.”The 6% cut to police translates to around $20 million. Among the cuts are 80% of the bureau’s unarmed public safety support specialists, according to Day.“So we had 42 positions, 38 of which were filled,” he said. “Effective August is when the layoffs are scheduled. They’ve become a tremendous resource, estimated to take about 25,000 calls a year that police officers could focus on other higher-priority calls.”Despite the budget passing with nine yes votes, city councilors Angelita Morillo, Sameer Kanal, Mitch Green, and Tiffany Koyama-Lane are proposing an ordinance to save what they are calling frontline jobs and services. Among those are the PPB support specialists.“There were a lot of things that fell through,” Morillo said. “And to us, that’s not sufficient. We can’t just say ‘sorry’; we can’t be the adults in the room and figure out a compromise. It’s our responsibility as councillors to come together and make that happen. So this ordinance is another attempt to do that.”
“The cuts that were left on the table were unacceptable, and it was clear that there was broad consensus on saving those jobs, but no clear consensus on how to pay for them. I am supportive of the ordinance that was filed to save these jobs before layoffs begin. I look forward to working with all of my Council colleagues on a compromise path forward that can pass,” added Council President Jamie Dunphy.KOIN 6 asked Day how he can convince councilors not to make the cuts in the first place, if they are so detrimental. He said it is not up to him, but it is up to Portlanders.“I want you to go in and talk about what your values are, what’s important,” Day said. “I want to be able to go to the grocery store and not feel threatened. I want to be able to go to the park and be able to enjoy a Portland park and not be harassed. I want to be able to have a small business, and when I come in, not see a broken window for the 14th time and have everybody tell me ‘there’s just nothing we can do about it.’”All four councilors introducing the ordinance voted to approve the budget earlier in the week. They have not formally introduced it yet, and it is in review…