Portland City Council Work Session FY2026-27 Community & Public Safety #2 05/13/26

The Portland City Council held a work session on May 13, 2026, focused on the FY2026-27 budget for community and public safety programs. The session included detailed presentations from the City Administrator, the Portland Police Bureau Chief, and representatives from community safety programs such as Portland Street Response, the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), and the Ceasefire program. The proposed public safety budget totals approximately $620 million, with $319.5 million allocated to the police bureau and $22.5 million to community safety programs. Significant budget reductions were discussed, including cuts to administrative staffing, aftercare teams, and materials and services budgets, impacting training, fleet, and technology resources. The police bureau plans to prioritize high-priority emergency calls and violent crime investigations while reducing response capacity for lower-priority calls. The community safety programs face reductions in grant funding and engagement tools, though ongoing funding for OVP and Ceasefire was made permanent to stabilize these violence prevention efforts. Council members expressed concerns about the impact of cuts on service levels, response times, and community safety, with discussions on potential budget amendments to restore funding. The meeting highlighted the interconnectedness of public safety services and the challenges of balancing fiscal constraints with maintaining core emergency response capabilities and community-based prevention strategies.