Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Portland's MAX light rail turns 40 amid funding crisis
TriMet's MAX light rail celebrates 40 years on Sept. 5, but the anniversary comes amid a $300 million budget shortfall and the largest service cuts since 2020, with a state survey closing Sept. 10 that could shape transportation funding in the 2027 legislative session.
Public Safety
Portland's MAX light rail turns 40 amid funding crisis
TriMet's MAX light rail celebrates 40 years on Sept. 5, but the anniversary comes amid a $300 million budget shortfall and the largest service cuts since 2020, with a state survey closing Sept. 10 that could shape transportation funding in the 2027 legislative session.
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Public Safety
View MorePortland police release body-cam video of vehicle strike
Portland Police Bureau released body-worn camera footage on Aug. 26 from the Aug. 12 incident in which Lt. Brent Maxey struck armed suspect Joshua R. Kuras with a police vehicle at 3-5 mph during a foot pursuit in Northwest Portland, triggering a deadly force investigation.
Public Safety
View MoreFeds charge 100+ fentanyl dealers in Portland crackdown
Federal prosecutors announced more than 100 fentanyl trafficking charges in downtown Portland since 2023, with seizures topping 100 kilograms of fentanyl, 40 firearms and $1.3 million in a joint FBI-PPB operation.
Public Safety
View MoreBurnside beacon goes live as repaving stirs speed fears
PBOT activated a $1.1 million pedestrian hybrid beacon on West Burnside at St. Clair Avenue, closing a 1,000-foot signal gap on one of Portland's deadliest corridors, but the Better Burnside Coalition warns that concurrent repaving without a street redesign could increase vehicle speeds.
Public Safety
View More2nd acid spill in 8 days hits North Portland warehouse
A ruptured valve sent 115 gallons of heavy acid flowing inside a North Portland warehouse on Tuesday, Aug. 18, the second major chemical incident in the area in eight days, prompting a hazmat response and leaving regulatory compliance questions unanswered.
Public Safety
View MoreSafe Blocks held resource fairs, self-defense classes across Portland in July
Portland's Safe Blocks program held six community events in July 2026, including resource fairs, self-defense workshops at two libraries and a National Night Out celebration at Director Park that drew city and county leaders alongside a dozen public safety organizations.
Public Safety
View More3 Portland restaurants barely pass July health inspections
Multnomah County's July 2026 health inspection results show 14 Portland restaurants scoring below 90, with Poke Qube, King Burrito Mexican Food and The Slammer Tavern scraping by in the low 70s, while more than 75 establishments earned perfect 100s.
Public Safety
View MoreExpert warns Portland isn't ready for an urban wildfire
Energy consultant Robert McCullough warns Portland's two AI wildfire cameras and 911-based detection system leave the city dangerously exposed to an urban wildfire, while Portland Fire's wildfire planning manager defends the current approach. Both agree the bureau's roughly 800 firefighters must be preserved as budget cuts loom.
Public Safety
View MoreSandy human trafficking sting nets 8 arrests, including 4 Portland residents
A multi-agency sting in Sandy on Friday, July 24, led to eight arrests including two Portland men booked as suspected traffickers and two Portland residents cited as suspected sex buyers, while rescuing trafficking victims and connecting them to services.
Public Safety
View MorePortland police urge free bike registration as thefts top 2,000 a year
Portland Police Bureau and PBOT are urging residents to register bikes for free through Project 529's Garage platform after registrations dropped 46% since 2020, with an estimated 2,000-plus bikes stolen annually in the metro area.
Public Safety
View MoreOnly 13% of Multnomah County is signed up for Oregon's emergency alert system
A peer-reviewed study finds Multnomah County has just 13% enrollment in Oregon's OR-Alert emergency notification system — the state's lowest rate — and most of those signed up are city employees, leaving the general public far less prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.
Public Safety
View MoreExpert warns Portland shares LA's wildfire vulnerabilities, with fewer resources
A Portland energy consultant who analyzed the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires warns that Portland shares key vulnerabilities with LA and has fewer resources to respond, with most mitigation focused on Forest Park while east-side neighborhoods remain underprotected during a record drought.
Public Safety
View MoreMultnomah County Sheriff's Office seeks public input on corrections deputy arrest rules
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office opened a 30-day public comment period on six proposed policies, including one defining when corrections deputies can make arrests inside and outside jail and court facilities. Comments are due by Wednesday, August 12.
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