PORTLAND, Ore. — On Wednesday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Portland Police Chief Bob Day acknowledged that while crime has decreased recently, there's still much that needs to be done.
“Overall crime in Portland continues to go down,” Wheeler said during an update on public safety inside city hall.
Portland Police Bureau (PBB) data shows homicides dropped 23% from 2022 to 2023. Gun violence has also gone down, with 1,023 reported shootings in the past 12 months — nearly 300 less than the year before. There’s also been a drop in crimes like vandalism and carjacking.
“This is not a victory lap. This is not something to celebrate, but it is something to recognize,” Day said.
RELATED: Despite drop in homicides in Portland in 2023, families of victims say there are still too many
Day could not say if public drug use violations under Measure 110 are included in this downward trend.
“It’s not something that has been easy to quantify … The fentanyl crisis is no secret is a huge issue, so we are continuing to be challenged by that,” he said.
“We’re not sitting here popping champagne corks; we know we’ve got a lot of work to do,” added Wheeler.
For Wheeler, that means continuing to remove run-down vehicles from Portland streets, even if people live in them. He said he's hoping to have 450 removed by the end of the year.
“We focus on those that are the most dangerous; if there are people living in them, we always provide outreach opportunities,” Wheeler said.
Their optimism for the city isn’t confined to city hall's walls — others feel it, too, including Josh Barrett, a manager at the Portland Outdoor Store downtown, a city staple that's been around for a century. Its staff has had a front row seat to the ups and downs of Portland in recent years.
“I do think that things have been going in a more positive direction down here,” Barrett said.
“I think a lot of what we’re feeling is just a like a ghost town that’s trying to come back, and I do feel like we’ll get there in the next few years,” added Betsy, who was walking downtown with a friend Wednesday afternoon.
“You can tell the difference before and now is really, really good,” said Lorenzo, who owns Fridas Kitchen Food Trucks.
It’s a difference that’s still hard to see through the plywood-covered windows and broken glass, leaving what looks like a permanent mark on some of Portland’s most iconic places.
“I hope it’s not forever. I hope that they can change, and it goes back to a more normal society down here,” Barrett said.
“Portland has rallied, and I’m committed to maintaining this positive momentum for all of these people and the entirety of this community until my last minute in office,” said Wheeler.
The city’s first large sanctioned campsite for homeless people located in Southeast Portland has transitioned nearly 100 people off the streets and into permanent housing since October. Wheeler said he believes getting more people off the streets will help move the city forward.