OF
OF PEOPLE
OF PEOPLE APPLYING IT DOWN FOR MANY AGENCIES, THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE QUALIFIED TO ACTUALLY DO
THE JOB IS EVEN LOWER.
LAST YEAR, ROUGHLY 85% OF
PEOPLE WHO APPLIED TO BE
PORTLAND POLICE OFFICERS DID
NOT PASS THE BACKGROUND CHECKS.
>> IT'S HARD EVERYWHERE TO HIRE
POLICE OFFICERS THESE DAYS.
IT'S A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM.
>> Reporter: CHRIS DAVIS IS THE
ASSISTANT CHIEF OF THE SERVICES
BRIDGE FOR THE PORTLAND POLICE
BUREAU.
BUREAU.
BUREAU. HE SAID THERE ARE CURRENTLY 120
SWAN POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS
THAT AREN'T FAILED.
>> WE'RE ON THE RIGHT THOUSAND
AND ONE SWAN POLICE OFFICERS,
SO ABOUT 100 VACANCIES ARE
ABOUT 12% OF OUR SWORN
STAFFING, SO THAT'S REALLY A
BIG PROBLEM.
BIG PROBLEM. >> Reporter: A REALLY BIG
PROBLEM WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT
THAT MEANS FOR OFFICERS ALREADY
ON THE FORCE.
>> IT GETS FRUSTRATING FOR
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. IT
THEM. IT DEFINITELY TAKES A TOLL FOR
ANYBODY WHO HAS TO WORK THAT
HARD AND WHO IS THAT BUSY.
>> Reporter: OFFICERS AND A
WORKING OVERTIME, AND IN MANY
CASES DAVIS SAYS THEY FIND
THEMSELVES GOING FROM CALL TO
CALL JUST TO MEET DEMAND.
>> WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS CALL
RESPONSE TIMES ACROSS THE BOARD
HAVE GONE UP.
>> Reporter: IN AN EMERGENCY
SITUATION, THE GOAL IS TO GET
THERE IN 5 MINUTES, BUT RIGHT
NOW DAVIS SAYS THAT IS NOT
ALWAYS HAPPEN.
ALWAYS HAPPEN. >> SOMETIMES THEY ARE COMING
FROM FARTHER AWAY BECAUSE THEY
HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED OUT OF THE
DISTRICT TO TAKE ANOTHER CALL,
AND NOW THEY HAVE TO COME BACK,
OR THEY HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO
A DISTRICT ACROSS THE PRECINCT
BECAUSE THE DISTRICT OFFICERS
THERE ARE TIED UP EITHER
>> Reporter: AND IN
NONEMERGENCY SITUATIONS?
NONEMERGENCY SITUATIONS? OR DID WE HEAR FROM OUR
OFFICERS ALL THE TIME THEY HAVE
TO SPEND THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES
OF THE CALL EXPLAINING TO THAT
CALLER WHY IT TOOK THEM SO LONG
TO GET THERE BECAUSE THE CALLER
IS FRUSTRATED.
IS FRUSTRATED. >> Reporter: SO WHY NOT JUST
HIRE MORE PEOPLE?
IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT EASY.
THE POOL OF QUALIFIED
APPLICANTS IS SHRINKING.
OUT OF THE 1075 PEOPLE WHO
APPLIED TO BE PORTLAND POLICE
OFFICERS LAST YEAR, 817 MET
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. FROM THERE, ONLY 303 PEOPLE
WERE SENT A BACKGROUND CHECK,
AND THAT IS WHERE THE POOL OF
ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES GOT EVEN
SMALLER. ROUGHLY 85% OF PEOPLE
DIDN'T PASS THE BACKGROUND
CHECK, LEAVING ONLY 43 THAT GOT
HIRED.
HIRED.
HIRED. OUT OF THAT GROUP, FIVE DID NOT
MAKE IT TO THE PROBATIONARY
PERIOD, SO FROM THE ORIGINAL
1075 PEOPLE WHO APPLIED, ONLY
38 PEOPLE ARE STILL EMPLOYED
WITH THE BUREAU.
ON TOP OF ALL THAT, FEWER
PEOPLE ARE EVEN APPLYING TO BE
POLICE OFFICERS.
POLICE OFFICERS. >> WE DO HEAR FEEDBACK THAT THE
JOB IS LESS ATTRACTIVE TO
PEOPLE THESE DAYS.
>> Reporter: AT THE BEGINNING
OF APRIL, DARRELL TURNER, THE
PRESIDENT OF THE PORTLAND
POLICE ASSOCIATION, RELEASED A
STATEMENT SAYING THE REASON THE
POLICE BUREAU IS EXPERIENCING
CATASTROPHIC STAFFING
CATASTROPHIC STAFFING SHORTAGES, DRASTICALLY
SHORTAGES, DRASTICALLY DECLINING RECRUITMENT SUCCESS,
AND THE INABILITY TO RETAIN
OFFICERS IS DUE TO ONE CORE
ISSUE, THE INTENT ANTI-POLICE
SENTIMENT IN OUR CITY THAT THE
CITY COUNCIL SEEM TO SHARE.
PORTLAND HAS HAD ITS SHARE OF
ANTI-POLICE DEMONSTRATIONS.
ANTI-POLICE DEMONSTRATIONS. >> PORTLAND IS A UNIQUE
ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH TO DO THIS
WORK. WE STRUGGLE A LOT WITH
THE NARRATIVE THAT WE HEAR
ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION.
>> TO TELL ME WHAT HE WAS
ARRESTED FOR?
ARRESTED FOR? >> Reporter: DAVIS SAID HE IS
HEARD ANTI-POLICE SENTIMENT HIS
ENTIRE CAREER, AND SOMETIMES
THOSE VOICES ARE THE LOUDEST.
BUT NOT EVERYONE FEELS THAT
WAY.
WAY.
WAY. >>
WAY. >> I
WAY. >> I WOULD PUSH BACK ON THE
IDEA THAT THE PORTLAND
COMMUNITY DOES NOT TRUST ITS
POLICE BUREAU OR IT DOES NOT
VALUE THE WORK THAT WE DO.
IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, AND I
HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN THIS
COMMUNITY EVERY DAY HOW MUCH
THEY VALUE THE SERVICE OF OUR
MEN AND WOMEN.
>> Reporter: THE GOOD ECONOMY
AND LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS
ALSO WORKING AGAINST POLICE
DEPARTMENTS.
DEPARTMENTS. MAYOR TED WHEELER ADDRESSED
THAT ISSUE WHILE TALKING ABOUT
HIS NEW BUDGET PROPOSAL.
>> IF YOU ARE A YOUNG PERSON
LOOKING AT A CAREER PATH, YOU
COULD SAY I COULD GO OVER HERE
AND DEVELOP APPS AND GET PAID
REALLY WELL AND GO HOME AT 5:00
P.M.
P.M.
P.M. AND
P.M. AND HAVE WEEKEND THE NOBODY
BREATHING DOWN MY BACK, OR I
CAN GO OVER HERE AND BE IN
POLICING AND DEAL WITH A LOT OF
PUBLIC SCRUTINY.
PUBLIC SCRUTINY. >> Reporter: WHAT IS THE
SOLUTION?
SOLUTION?
SOLUTION? HOW DO YOU GET MORE PEOPLE TO
GO INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT?
>> WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THE
NOBILITY OF THE PROFESSION OF
POLICING BECAUSE IT REALLY IS
REWARDING WORK, AND I FEEL LIKE
I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT
BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR
A WHILE, AND I WOULD NOT TRADE
IT FOR THE WORLD.
>> Reporter: OFFICERS RETIRING
BEFORE THERE ARE NEW PEOPLE TO
REPLACE THEM IS ALSO A BIG
ISSUE.
ISSUE.
ISSUE. ANOTHER LARGE GROUP IS SET TO
RETIRE IN AUGUST OF 2020, AND
EVEN IF THEY WERE TO FIND
ENOUGH PEOPLE TO HIRE RIGHT
NOW, IT TAKES 18 MONTHS TO
TRAIN A NEW OFFICER SO THEY
WOULD NOT EVEN BE READY IN
TIME, SO IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG
ISSUE.
ISSUE.
ISSUE. >>
ISSUE. >> THOSE NUMBERS ARE STILL
STAGGERING TO ME, THE NUMBER OF
APPLICANTS COMPARED TO THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY
BECOME POLICE OFFICERS, I HAD
NO IDEA THEY WERE SO DIFFERENT.
>> Reporter: 1000 UP TO 38.
IT IS HUGE.
>> WE SEE WHAT PORTLAND IS
DEALING WITH.
DEALING WITH. IS THIS UNIQUE TO PORTLAND?
HAVE YOU TALK TO OTHER
DEPARTMENTS?
DEPARTMENTS? ARE THEY DEALING WITH THE SAME
TYPE OF SITUATION?
>> I TALKED TO VANCOUVER
POLICE, AND THE WASHINGTON
COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND
THEY ARE ALL SEEING FEWER
QUALIFIED APPLICANTS.
QUALIFIED APPLICANTS. ANKIT VANCOUVER AND WASHINGTON
COUNTIES HAVE OPENED POSITIONS,
MUCH FEWER THAN PORTLAND.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY SAYS THERE