Democrat-run Portland, Oregon, is witnessing a homicide rate that has surged 207 percent above highs seen from 2019 to 2021.
KATU points to a new report from California Partnership for Safe Communities. Released by Mayor Ted Wheeler’s (D) office, “Portland Homicide Problem Analysis 2019-2021” shows the elevated homicide rate of 2019-2021 and notes that Portland’s current homicide rate increase of 207 percent “is the largest amongst its peer cities.”
The report looked at a time frame of January 2019 through June 2021. It found that Portland had a “144 percent increase in counts of homicide incidents” during that time period, and a “241 percent increase in counts of nonfatal injury shootings.”
The report notes that Portland saw a greater homicide rate increase in 2019-2021 than did Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, Nashville, or San Francisco.
KATU points out that 2022 is on pace to surpass the homicide totals of 2020 and 2021. “2020 saw 57 homicides, while 2021 saw 88. Through May 2022, Portland has already seen 39 homicides.”
The report cited by KATU notes, “The City of Portland experienced a rapid increase in fatal and nonfatal shootings beginning in the summer of 2020 amidst a decrease in [Portland Police Bureau] staffing and resources.”
Those reductions and restraints on Portland Police came in the wake of the city’s 2020 summer of violence.
On October 21, 2021, the Associated Press noted the violence raging in Portland and observed:
Portland police have struggled to quell the violence with a force 128 officers below its authorized strength. Since August 2020, about 200 officers have left the department. Many, in their exit interviews, cited low morale, lack of support from city officials and burnout from months of racial justice protests, which often ended in plumes of tear gas before largely dying down last fall.
Mayor Wheeler commented on the report, according to KXL. “I look forward to incorporating this important data and the recommendations from California Partnership into our future efforts to address gun violence, including Safe Summer PDX and beyond,” he said.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.