Portland Police Bureau 2024 Annual Report Meetings

The Portland Police Bureau's 2024 Annual Report highlights significant strides in reducing crime, increasing transparency, and reconnecting with our community - while also recognizing areas that require ongoing attention and support. Here's a quick look at what we achieved, where challenges remain, and how you can get involved in upcoming virtual precinct meetings.

Read the 2024 Annual Report.

Major Accomplishments in2024

• Violent-crime trends moved in the right direction
  • Person crimes fell 4 percent and non-suicide shooting incidents dropped 22 percent compared with 2023.
• Homicide and traffic fatality rates finally edged down
  • Homicides declined 8 percent; traffic deaths fell from 66 to 58, marking the first two-year decline in three decades.
• Property-crime hot spots cooled
  • Overall property crime dipped 12 percent, and motor vehicle theft hit its lowest level since 2016-about eight fewer thefts per day.
• Mission-driven policing produced concrete results
  • 53 Stolen Vehicle Operations recovered 474 vehicles and led to 596 arrests.
  • Retail theft missions accounted for 971 arrests and double-digit drops in robberies and burglaries.
• Gun violence strategies were successful
  • FIT/ECST teams ran 100+ missions; citywide shootings fell 21 percent, and 57 crime-linked firearms were seized.
• Transparency & tech upgrades
  • City-wide body-worn cameras went live by September and the open data portal now posts additional statistical information.
• Community engagement expanded
  • PPB personnel focused on walking beats during the holidays and NCAA Tournament.

Key Challenges

• Loss of Life
  • Even with reductions, 68 homicides and 58 traffic deaths are far too high.
• Critical staffing shortages
  • Sworn staffing remains at a 35-year low-84 positions vacant-resulting in heavy overtime use and limiting proactive work.
• Fentanyl & overdose crisis
  • NOC seized 47 kg of fentanyl (up 512 percent) yet overdose deaths totaled 274, including six minors.
• Aging infrastructure & fleet gaps
  • From elevator/HVAC upgrades at the Training Division to a 30-year-old mobile-precinct truck, basic facilities and equipment need substantial investment.

The Road Ahead - 2025 Focus Areas

• Bring 100 new officers through training to deploy across precincts
• Launch the PANDA (Problem-scan, Analyze, Nominate, Deploy, Assess) model citywide
• Expand online reporting
• Continue mission-based, data-driven policing strategies