A Portland doctor who was attacked while walking in the city is using the incident to criticize ongoing issues with homelessness, mental illness, and police shortages. According to the president of the Portland Police Association, Aaron Schmautz, new recruits are finally joining the force after the mass resignations and low morale following the 2020 protests. However, there is a significant backlog in training these new recruits at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), causing delays in addressing the officer shortage. As a result, 911 response times have been drastically impacted, with high-priority calls now waiting an average of 20 minutes for a response, compared to the previous average of 8 minutes before 2020. Schmautz expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that waiting 20 minutes for emergency assistance is “unconscionable.” He cited the case of a Portland doctor who was knocked unconscious in a random attack and waited 20 minutes for the police to arrive before giving up and going home. The shortage of officers in Portland is attributed to the mass exodus of officers following the George Floyd protests and the defund the police movement. However, Schmautz claims that there is now a renewed interest in becoming a police officer in Portland, partly due to competitive pay and increased support from city leadership. Despite the influx of applicants, the training backlog at the Oregon Public Safety Academy remains a significant challenge. The academy, responsible for training all new officers, deputies, and troopers from over 200 law enforcement agencies in the state, was designed to handle a turnover rate of about 10%. However, the turnover rate surged after 2020, causing delays in training new recruits. Efforts are being made to address the backlog, including increasing class sizes and reducing wait times. Currently, around 100 police officers in Portland are in training, and new hires face a four-month wait to enter the academy. The training requirements in Portland are longer than national and regional norms, with officers undergoing 18 months of training. Despite efforts to address the training backlog, the Portland Police Bureau still faces staffing challenges. A recent report from the Manhattan Institute ranked the bureau as one of the most understaffed forces in the nation. The police-to-population ratio in Portland is much lower compared to other large cities like Boston, Detroit, and Memphis. However, Schmautz acknowledged that the number of officers needed for effective functioning may vary depending on the specific goals and challenges of a city. Although the situation seems challenging, Schmautz remains optimistic that conditions will improve as new recruits complete their training.
