PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — You might notice more police officers on the streets over the next few months — twenty-two to be exact. The Portland Police Bureau swore in the largest single group of police officers in more than 25 years.
The increase of recruitment efforts and hires became an intensified focus to solve the underlying issue of declining staffing at PPB. The goal is to rebuild the positions and ranks at PPB and according to Police Chief Bob Day, “we are finding exceptional individuals to serve the communities of Portland.”
The recently expanded Recruitment Unit was put in place to improve outreach efforts locally and nationally. This included multiple layers of outreach and infrastructure upgrades, such as new advertising campaigns, a social media effort highlighting current officers, and an updated communications platform to allow real-time engagement between recruiters and applicants. The latter helped improve the process time it takes from interview to hiring, which is now reduced to just five months…