The Portland Enhanced Community Safety Initiative

A November 2026 Ballot Measure To Make Portland Safer Without Raising Taxes

THE PROBLEM:
Portland Has Too Few Police Officers For A City Our Size

TOO FEW OFFICERS
The biggest barrier to ending open air drug markets and ensuring safe sidewalks, parks and neighborhoods in Portland is inadequate police staffing. Portland has 1.2 officers per 1,000 residents – half the national average.
DELAYED EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Low staffing results in unacceptably long 911 emergency response times. The average priority response is now 20 minutes – twice what it was just a few years ago. Slow response times put lives at risk and allow violent situations to escalate.
NO COMMUNITY POLICING
With too few officers, Portland cannot achieve community-based policing, where officers are on foot and on bikes engaging with residents and businesses directly to prevent crime and build community relationships and trust.
PREVENTS REFORM
Inadequate staffing prevents Portland from implementing and expanding policing reforms where officers work alongside mental health professionals – so the right responder shows up for the right situation no matter the crisis.

THE SOLUTION:
The Portland Enhanced Community Safety Initiative Is The Practical Solution

What You Need To Know
NO NEW TAXES REQUIRED: An existing 1% tax on corporate retailers was projected to raise $30-$50 million a year – it now raises close to $200 million a year. By dedicating 25% of the existing tax to public safety, Portland can finally have the police staffing it needs and the improved policing it deserves – without cuts to other programs.

The Benefits For Our Community

TOO FEW OFFICERS
The Portland Enhanced Community Safety Initiative will finally give Portland the staffing and resources to get public safety right. With this citizen initiative, Portland can recruit the next generation of officers, with stronger community ties and better training, and bring police staffing closer to the national average.
FASTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Additional police staffing will speed up unacceptably long emergency response times, saving lives and allowing officers to arrive before violent situations escalate.
SAFER STREETS
Hiring additional officers, working closely in neighborhoods and downtown, will mean fewer open-air drug markets, and cleaner, safer parks, sidewalks and public spaces. Portlanders deserve to be safer and feel safer.
ADVANCING POLICING REFORMS
Closing the police staffing gap will allow Portland to implement reforms like community-based policing and officers working alongside mental health professionals to provide the correct response to people in crisis or committing a crime.

What Portland Residents Are Saying

“I want to see our crime rates in Portland go down and I want to increase police officers on the street so they can do community policing. We need safer streets, period.”
Juanita
Lents neighborhood resident, Retired city worker, activist, mother and grandmother
"I’m supporting this initiative because Portlanders want and deserve to feel safe. We've lost so many beloved businesses to shoplifting and disorder. That’s not right.”
Max
Slabtown resident, Small business owner, activist, Friends of Couch Park board member
Read more testimonials >
support@saferportand.com
971-202-0808
Paid for by Community Safety Coalition PAC ID #22185