Portland Shifts $2 Million From Police to Parks, Homeless Programs

And sometimes they wonder why public safety in Portland has not been improving much.

  Portland City Council votes to take money from Police

Parks are an integral part of a city's infrastructure, but sometimes priorities have to be shifted.

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   Axios Portland is reporting $2 million was shifted from the Police budget to parks. The council member who proposed the shift said this, according to Axios:

• "Councilor Candace Avalos sought to redirect a $2 million increase in police funding — intended to bolster recruiting and retention — to park maintenance.
• "This is not about reducing police effectiveness," Avalaos said. "It is about a balanced approach to public safety that includes well-maintained parks where families feel safe gathering."

Some of the officials said this was not a cut to Police and the public would notice any  decrease in the effectiveness of law enforcement. However, another council member said the move was ill-advised, especially given the progress (moderate) the city has made in reducing crime.

Mayor Keith Wilson's original budget  proposal included cuts in city services and layoffs, but spending more on homeless programs and funding the city's unarmed crisis response team.  The CRT is a concept that was looked at long and hard in Seattle, it basically involves sending unarmed 'counselors' or service workers on police calls that are considered not high risk.

READ More:  Portland and Multnomah County, have seen little progress on homeless issue.