Giant Reversal on Defunding Police in Portland

(TheDailyHorn.com) – Numerous Democratic-led cities experienced months of protests and destructive riots in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Months later, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City, and other cities began defunding their police departments. Many tried to warn municipal officials that it was a mistake, but Democratic leaders didn’t listen. As police departments lost funding and police officer numbers dwindled, crime spiked. Homicides, burglaries, and other violent crimes rose at unprecedented rates.

In June 2020, Portland was one of the biggest defunders of police in the nation. Now, Mayor Ted Wheeler is backtracking. He said that citizens no longer feel safe, and it’s the city’s responsibility to take action and help residents in need. The left-wing city council is now adding $5.2 million back to the $230 million police budget. In July 2020, the city cut $15 million from police. While it’s not a complete restoration of the police budget, it’s better than nothing as far as residents are concerned.

The effort comes as the Portland police experiences its most significant staffing shortage in decades. Recently, the US Department of Justice recommended increasing the city’s budget to fight crime and improve public safety. On Wednesday, November 17, the city council unanimously passed a fall budget with the proposed increase.

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