Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Portland can't fill police jobs

Leaders in Portland, Ore., are looking to combat the city’s rising homicide rate by resurrecting a police unit focused on gun violence. But after a year of growing tension within the department, they can’t find enough officers to join.

Since 14 job openings were announced in May, only four police personnel have applied to work with the new version of Portland’s Gun Violence Reduction Team, which was shut down last year amid long-running protests seeking racial justice and an overhaul of police practices. None have yet been assigned.

Portland officers say such positions, once considered prestigious, are now less desirable, given the increased scrutiny that accompanies them. The new unit has its own citizen-advisory board, instituted after the old unit was criticized by city leaders for racial profiling. A job description says qualifications include the ability to fight systemic racism.

“They’re demonizing and vilifying you, and then they want to put you in a unit where you’re under an even bigger microscope,” said Daryl Turner, head of the union that represents Portland’s officers.

Portland police have coped with frequent late-night street violence in the past year, as well as criticism from politicians and activists on the right and left.

Jami Resch, assistant chief of the Portland Police Bureau’s investigations branch, acknowledged that morale is down in the department. She said criticism of the old unit and uncertainty surrounding the new one and its relationship with the oversight committee have slowed applications. Once those roles are clarified, there will be more interest, she predicted.

Homicide rates rose 24% in a sample of 32 American cities in the first quarter of 2021, compared with the same period last year, according to a recent study by the Council on Criminal Justice, a think tank focusing on criminal-justice policy and research. The rates are far below peaks from the 1990s.

They should have thought about that 2 years ago ,when all police where bad.Reap what you sow

Why would anyone want to be a LEO now?

You couldn't pay me to even pass through Portland...

Portland is a schithole.

Why would any intelligent person even consider being a police officer of any sort in a city like Portland?

sounds likes its about to become a much worse schithole

I was out there in 2018, didn't spend much time in downtown but I did venture out to voodoo donuts. Then I went hiking in the Cascades and St Helens. Also made my way over to Astoria.

There is a lot of beautiful country around Portland. Too bad a bunch of people there are so determined to ruin life for everyone else.

They have a citizen advisory board. There it is right there. A bunch of nut case liberals who know nothing about police work are trying to run a police department. That's as likely to work as a bunch of liberal arts graduates trying to engineer a bridge.

Bet they won’t have any problem finding officers to enforce Mask Mandates, Lockdowns and of course follow Stand Down orders.

Isn’t that what they always had, liberals that know nothing running the police department. The mayors and the Chiefs appointed by the mayors, I don’t see a difference.

New Orleans is in a much worse situation with hiring needs.

There’s a common denominator hidden somewhere in this.

LOL wonder why,who would want to be a cop in Portland or any big democrat run city.

Green Bay WI just hired their next Chief of Police from Portland.

Pretty sure he's glad to be changing cities...

You'd have to be crazy to take a job as a police officer in a jurisdiction where the government hates police and supports the criminals as victims.

There isn't one. 20 years from now there will be no LEO's.

kwg

This. Can't understand why this would be a surprise to anyone.

Akin to aspiring to be a substitute teacher in Baltimore.

Fireballz would be a great detective.

For sure. Or live there, imo.

Calculus class?