Juanita Swartwood and Bob Simril
For The Oregonian/OregonLive
Swartwood was a leader of the effort to roll back Ballot Measure 110. Simril was a Portland City Council candidate for District 2 in 2024. The two are Portland residents and chief petitioners for the Enhanced Community Safety Initiative.
When Portlanders dial 911 in an emergency, they expect help to arrive – fast. Today, that expectation is often unmet—and the consequences are serious. Residents now wait nearly 20 minutes on average for an officer to respond to a high-priority call. That is more than double the average time in 2019. It puts lives at risk and undermines trust in the city’s most basic obligation: responding when someone needs help.
Part of the problem is simple math. Portland has fewer police officers than it had in 1993, even though the city has grown by more than 175,000 people. With only 809 sworn officers, Portland ranks near the bottom of the 50 largest U.S. cities in police staffing per capita. No thriving city can function effectively with numbers this low. In fact, Police Chief Bob Day has already warned city officials that Portland needs more officers for a safer city.
When staffing falls this far behind, the effects ripple throughout the system. Community policing – something Portlanders consistently say they want – becomes increasingly difficult to deliver if police officers don’t have the time to develop relationships with business owners and residents to proactively address concerns. Everyday interactions such as attending neighborhood meetings or visiting a business district build trust, boost police visibility and help prevent crime. Yet, they are often the first to disappear when staffing is stretched too thin and emergencies take precedence.
Low staffing also strains partnerships with behavioral health responders like Portland Street Response. PSR teams sometimes need police support during volatile situations. When officers cannot arrive promptly, the city cannot maintain the coordinated, interwoven safety network Portlanders desire—a system where medical, behavioral health and law enforcement experts work together to help people in crisis.
Portland can change course. That is why we filed a ballot initiative for November 2026 requiring the city to hire at least 400 additional officers over the next several years. This would move Portland from 1.2 officers per 1,000 residents to 2.0 – still below the national average, but enough to stabilize emergency response and rebuild a functional, community-centered system. In addition to increasing the number of officers, this measure also creates the opportunity to recruit and hire more officers who look like and love the communities they serve.
Our proposal is straightforward and fiscally responsible. Importantly, it does not raise taxes. Instead, it dedicates 25% of an existing revenue source – the Portland Clean Energy tax on sales at large corporate retailers – to hire and train new officers. When the 1% tax was created, it was projected to generate between $30 million to $90 million annually for what is now called the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund. Today, that tax generates nearly $200 million each year. A task force appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek has recommended allowing voters to decide whether they want to dedicate part of this surplus to urgent city needs. This measure guarantees that a portion is used to strengthen public safety and policing.
Under our proposal, about $50 million per year would support hiring and training 400 additional officers. The remaining $150 million remains available for the mayor and city council to invest in climate resilience and job creation. It’s not an either-or choice. Portland can strengthen community safety while continuing to invest in environmental progress.
Police critics frequently cite vacancies as justification to oppose staffing increases. This is a red herring. All police departments have some openings as they juggle retirements and adding new officers. Even if Portland immediately filled its 68 vacancies, we would still have fewer officers than 30 years ago. For too long, the city has used funds budgeted to fill vacancies to instead pay overtime to existing officers shouldering the increased load. This is not sustainable or practical.
In September, Portland added 22 new officers – the largest number in more than 20 years. Voters can build on this success with our initiative.
Adding officers alone will not solve every challenge facing Portland. But without a more reliable public safety system, addressing other problems is significantly harder. Without the reality and perception of public safety, efforts to address behavioral health and addiction, homelessness and housing, economic development, tourism and downtown revitalization will struggle.
Portlanders deserve to feel safe walking to school, using our parks and operating their businesses. Seniors should feel protected. Residents and visitors should feel safe shopping and attending games, concerts, museums and restaurants. And every resident should know that when they call 911, help is truly on the way.
This ballot initiative gives Portlanders a responsible way to take meaningful action to move our city forward – at a moment when we need it most. With our votes, we can strengthen public safety with 400 additional officers, maintain funding for critical climate investments and use an unexpected surplus to meet one of the city’s most pressing needs.
Portland is what we make it. Let’s make it safer and better for everyone.
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