Community Forum on Precinct Restructuring
Monday, April 20, 2009
6:30PM – 8:00PM
Cleveland High School (in the library)
3400 SE 26th Ave.
Portland, OR 97202

Bureau Advisory Committee Response to Proposed Budget Cuts
January 27, 2009
Doing a better job with less is an admirable accomplishment. The Bureau Advisory Committee (BAC) is very impressed with the Portland Police Bureau’s efforts to do just that. The emphasis on reducing commanders in order to increase patrol will enable the bureau to have more emergency response and neighborhood patrol. However, there is an area of concern for the BAC regarding this new configuration, specifically, the increase in command staff by creating three new captain positions and the elimination of six NRT positions. These proposals do not enhance community policing. While the boundaries might change for the precincts, the citizen population does not. A reduction in NRT officers does not serve the best interest of our neighborhoods and is a serious blow to community policing. An increase in upper management at a time of budget constraints does not make economic sense. Coupled with a decrease in NRT officers is alarming! We endorse the concept in the proposed “Three Precinct Configuration” as a means to provide more service in a time of budget constraints. In past BAC reports we have recommended moves towards precinct consolidation. This new version surpasses our previous recommendation with an increase in over all savings while attempting to maintain police presence in the affected neighborhoods and allows for an increase in sworn officers. Utilization of the proposed closed precincts for training and traffic not only saves money on leases, and improves accommodations for both those functions but keeps a police presence in both North and Southeast neighborhoods. Neighborhoods that have historically protested the closing of precincts should feel a sense of relief knowing that bureau members will continue to be in their neighborhoods for training purposes. Plainly stated, by eliminating the three new Captain positions and restating the six NRT positions will make the new configuration practical, efficient and a good use of taxpayers money.
The BAC is concerned in this atmosphere of dire economic turmoil that there will be a push for deeper cuts to the PPB. We strongly urge that if this becomes necessary, look towards revenue production versus service cuts. Before eliminating prioritized programs on the list, please consider these recommendations first. Year after year in the BAC has urged the bureau to recoup the expenses of special event overtime. Repeatedly, we have recommended special event organizers be required to pay the costs associated with a requested police presence. The BAC has also repeatedly requested an increase in alarm monitoring fees and fines. In addition to these suggestions for revenue we would like to add a new one, the PPB should recover the costs of investigating non-injury auto accidents. The rationale for this recommendation is simple; there is no crime being committed, no threat to our citizens. The investigation of a non-injury automobile accident is merely legwork for the insurance industry. The insurance industry should pay for the service.
In addition to revenue producing actions the BAC recommends the PPB actively reviews their entire command structure, not just the operations branch staffing, with the objective of optimizing supervisory positions. When the economic downturn hit corporate America the first course of action taken was to analyze middle management. The discovery of a heavy middle management sector led to restructuring and cost savings. The exact same cost savings approach used in the proposed three precinct configuration should be applied to all management positions. All Sergeant and Lieutenant positions should be analyzed with an eye towards efficiency. Keeping programs running and officers on the street should be the priority if the PPB is to maintain public safety at current levels.
The BAC urges City Council to adopt Option A.. The combined precinct restructure, reprogram and one-time restructure responsibly meets the 5.11% requested budget reduction. Public safety is one area of public service that cannot be compromised. This plan cuts dollars not public safety. Let us repeat, if more reductions become necessary, we strongly urge reviewing the ways to increase revenue sources and/or cost recovery over cuts that will adversely affect public safety. Finally, a continual search for efficiencies, such as the recommended optimization of supervisory positions should be undertaken immediately.

We are actually lucky in Portland to have many of our crime statistics dropping each year. Part of that decrease is due to neighbors getting involved in block watches, foot patrols and being aware of and reporting suspicious activity in their communities.

If you are interested in the crime statistics for your community, the Portland Police website has some links to several sites that you can browse.

CrimeMapper2 includes the last year of data and is updated monthly. There are 28 crime categories that you can search, which is helpful if there is a specific crime that you are interested in seeing the results for. CrimeMapper searches by street address or intersection. You can also sign up for a monthly email notification that is sent to you. CrimeMapper will create a map for you similar to the maps that you see at your neighborhood or business association meetings. The link to CrimeMapper is http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?c=29830.

If you are interested in what crimes have been reported in your whole neighborhood, precinct, coalition or city you can use the CrimeStats program that can be accessed at http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?c=29831. CrimeStats is great for comparing crime rates over several months. You can choose a date, month or week range, as well as compare multiple ranges. The data is updated on the 15th of each month.

CrimeReports.com can also be accessed through the Portland Police Bureau website at http://www.portlandonline.com/police/ or directly. This website can search by address, zip code or city to find 911 calls in your community. The information is updated daily. As you know, not all 911 calls end in a police report, so this site will list calls made, not just the calls that police reports were written for. The information is limited, but will give you a good idea of the nature of the call.

We encourage you to look at all of the sites and decide for yourself what is most helpful for you. Please keep in mind that all of these sites only include information on reported crimes. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact Havilah Ferschweiler at 503-823-0540 or Katherine Anderson at 503-823-3432.

Many of you already know that Max Margolis, Crime Prevention Program Coordinator, is no longer working with Southeast Uplift Neighborhoods.

Max will be missed by the 10 neighborhoods and business districts within those neighborhoods that he provided services to. Havilah Ferschweiler has been hired as the new Crime Prevention Specialist and will provide crime prevention services to the areas Max served. Havilah has been a Crime Prevention Program Coordinator in North Portland for the last three years.

Havilah is a well known and well respected community organizer, trainer and problem solver. She is our city-wide expert on the Enhances Safety Properties Program.

Havilah will be working primarily with the HAND, Buckman, Brooklyn, Sellwood-Moreland, Creston-Kenilworth, Foster-Powell, Mt. Scott-Arleta, Brentwood-Darlington, Eastmoreland, Reed, Woodstock and Ardenwald-Johnson Creek neighborhoods. As well as the FABA, HBBA, Division-Clinton, GBBA, Woodstock, CEIC and 82nd Avenue of Roses business associations.

You can reach Havilah at 503 823-0540 or at hferschweiler@ci.portland.or.us