13 — Motion to Amend Attachment D and add a budget note directing Portland Police Bureau to develop a Staffing strategy and analysis of current practices The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is directed to develop a report on its strategic initiatives to enhance staffing levels beyond attrition and improve officer retention and deliver it to council in September of 2025. These efforts aim to address ongoing public safety challenges, improve workforce wellness, and reduce the reliance on backfill overtime. To address this challenge, Council also directs PPB to conduct an analysis of its current hiring practices and identify areas for improvement including but not limited to: 62

Source: PDF pp. 62-63 ↗ · raw: 62 · 63

Breadcrumb: Councilor Novick > 13 — Motion to Amend Attachment D and add a budget note directing Portland Police Bureau to develop a Staffing strategy and analysis of current practices The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is directed to develop a report on its strategic initiatives to enhance staffing levels beyond attrition and improve officer retention and deliver it to council in September of 2025. These efforts aim to address ongoing public safety challenges, improve workforce wellness, and reduce the reliance on backfill overtime. To address this challenge, Council also directs PPB to conduct an analysis of its current hiring practices and identify areas for improvement including but not limited to: 62

June 11, 2025 • Increase General Fund Program Expense in the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management by $625,000 to restore one Training and Exercise Analyst, one Planner and add a second Planner. • Increase Beginning Fund Balance in Fund and Debt Management General Fund by $500,000 to recognize remaining Portland Police Bureau resources projected at the end of Fiscal Year 2024-25. Novick 12 - Motion to Amend the Budget to Transfer Police Bureau General Fund to FY 2025-26 to Fund Efforts to Improve Recruitment to Increase Staffing and to Maximize the Value of Public Safety Support Specialists (Withdrawn) Motion to transfer $1,991,616 of one-time General Fund revenue from Portland Police Bureau’s FY 2024-25 budget to FY 2025-26 to fund efforts to bolster recruitment to increase staffing and to maximize the value of Public Safety Support Specialists. • Increase Bureau Personnel Expenses within Portland Police Bureau General Fund by $1,991,616. • Increase Beginning Fund Balance in the General Fund by $1,991,616. • Update Attachments A-H as needed to reflect this change. This budget amendment is to be paired with Novick 13 and 14 – Motion to Amend Attachment D and add a budget note directing Portland Police Bureau to develop a Staffing strategy and analysis of current practices. Novick 13 - Motion to Amend Attachment D and add a budget note directing Portland Police Bureau to develop a Staffing strategy and analysis of current practices The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is directed to develop a report on its strategic initiatives to enhance staffing levels beyond attrition and improve officer retention and deliver it to council in September of 2025. These efforts aim to address ongoing public safety challenges, improve workforce wellness, and reduce the reliance on backfill overtime. To address this challenge, Council also directs PPB to conduct an analysis of its current hiring practices and identify areas for improvement including but not limited to: 62

June 11, 2025 Provide quarterly hiring and retention updates to the mayor through June 30, 2026, including number of hires, sworn officers in training, separations, and net impact to the training pipeline and staffing. Reporting will also include the number of sworn officers in each rank. The first quarterly update in September 2025 will include a comprehensive staffing and retention plan and will include: (1) a memo addressing current PPB recruitment advertising and marketing strategies and ideas for expansion and improvement to PPB practices; and (2) a comparison of current hiring practices to recommended recruiting and retention strategies by the International Association of Police Chiefs (IACP). According to the IACP, retention for newer officers in their first five years of service is challenging. PPB will closely study separations in this timespan to better understand its workforce and develop retention strategies. These efforts will inform data-driven decisions to strengthen officer retention, support long-term staffing stability, and ensure the bureau is positioned to meet the community’s public safety needs. Background PPB has faced significant staffing shortages in recent years. As of May 2025, the bureau reported approximately 312 officers on patrol, substantially below authorized staffing, forcing a reliance on backfill overtime to maintain current levels of service. Contributing factors include increased retirements, resignations, and challenges in recruitment and retention. In response, the 2022 City Council authorized hiring incentives, including up to $25,000 for lateral officers and $5,000 for Public Safety Support Specialists (PS3s). Despite strong recruiting and increasing numbers of applications, attrition due to retirement and other separations have outpaced hiring and filled positions remain below full authorization staffing, filled positions remain below full authorized staffing, impacting response times. The bureau's reliance on overtime to compensate for staffing gaps adds to the ongoing structural budget deficit and contributes to officer burnout. To address these concerns, this report will outline steps to fill vacancies and bring the bureau to full authorized staffing. As officers complete their 18-month probationary period, the bureau will assess impacts on response times and reduction in overtime reliance. This evaluation period will inform whether authorized staffing levels are sufficient to meet Portland’s 911 call volume or if additional positions should be considered in future budget cycles to ensure public safety service levels meet community expectations. 63

Parent: Councilor Novick · PDF: pp. 62-63 ↗