February 04, 2021 10:46
This has been updated to contain a usable link to an earlier release.
Today the Portland Police Bureau is reassigning officers and sergeants to its three precincts in an effort to reduce overtime costs.
In December, the Portland Police Bureau announced it was making plans to return officers to the three police precincts as part of a Bureau-wide reorganization. The stated purpose for that reorganization was to try to reduce significant overtime costs associated with staffing the minimum number of officers daily on patrol shifts. Before this reorganization, every shift at every precinct typically has to hire officers on overtime to reach this minimum number, which varies by precinct and shift.
Due to the fact that the bureau has its lowest number of sworn employees in over 25 years (824 sworn members), and because of enormous costs associated with events of 2020, the Bureau took this step to save money.
This reorganization is not related to shootings or call time response, although those are important topics. Whatever strategies the bureau and its partners in law enforcement may apply to those problems, will be separate from this reorganization.
The reorganization will be implemented on today, February 4, 2021. Here is a summary of positions being moved to patrol:
* 48 Officers who had been assigned to the Rapid Response Team (RRT) full time
* 3 RRT Sergeants
* 18 Traffic Division officers
* 2 Traffic Division sergeants
* 7 K9 officers
* 1 K9 sergeant
* 6 Transit officers (transferred in January)
* 6 Narcotics and Organized Crime officers
* 1 Narcotics and Organized Crime sergeant
* 3 Community Engagement officers
* 1 Community Engagement sergeant
* 2 Public Information officers
* 1 Behavioral Health Unit officer
These numbers may appear to be slightly different from the earlier release due to retirements or resignations. It should be noted that 38 sworn members either retired or resigned from the bureau in the month of January 2021. A total of 110 members who have left the Bureau's employment since July 1, 2020: 37 resignations and 73 retirements.
Here is a link to the press release announcing this planned reorganization from December:
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=271391
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