East of 82nd, in the numbers, we have the highest visibility of police but the least service provided. East Portland deserves a responsive and accountable public safety system rooted in what our communities need to be safe. While political talking heads and City leaders bemoan the challenges facing downtown, here in East Portland our neighbors have felt unsafe long before the pandemic exacerbated these challenges. While City Hall is focused on increasing tourism, East Portlanders are facing increased break ins and gun violence without an immediate response when we need help. Portland Police Bureau has a record high budget and new officers are being added at a steady pace. Yet response times are abysmal and people in distress are left to wait or get no response at all. When you have an emergency, you deserve to know that help is coming. We need every tool at our disposal to make that happen. I’ll prioritize expanding Portland Street Response, a program that assists people in crisis without the intervention of an armed police officer. When we modernize our public safety system to dispatch the right responder to the right call, we create a Portland where everyone feels safe.