PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Mayor Keith Wilson is tasked with finding a way to make up an expected $160-million shortfall for next year, but Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the budget for his bureau is already thin.
“Every cut we make is a cut to the bone,” said Day. “There is no fat left on it.”
Day said bureau staffing is one of the areas taking a hit under Wilson’s $8 billion budget proposal for next year, which calls for close to 150 job cuts across the city.
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The proposal does not cut police officers, but Wilson is proposing laying off employees with the bureau, including:
- Reduce precinct administrative staffing by 50%
- Reduce Victim Services Unit by 35%
- Reduction in tech including a 20% cut in fleet expenses
- Reduce operational backfill overtime by 10%.
- Reduce general fund EM&S by 35% scaling back training
- Reduce the Unarmed Public Safety Support (PS3s) program by 80%
The PS3s respond to low-level calls, allowing officers to respond faster to high-priority calls…