Residents in Portland, Oregon, are fleeing the city in droves over concerns about crime, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Portland lost 3% of its residents between 2020 and 2022, largely due to an uptick in crime and homelessness, the WSJ reported. Portland has struggled to curtail its homicides since defunding parts of its police force in 2020, and homicides have soared to 92 in 2021 and 101 in 2022 — the deadliest year in Portland’s history, according to The Oregonian.
Farewell, Portland: People tired of the Oregon city’s crime and homelessness issues are moving away https://t.co/SGiGw2862h
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 28, 2023
Portland used to be one of the safest cities in the U.S., averaging about 21 homicides annually from 2000 to 2019, according to the WSJ, but COVID-19, coupled with anti-police protests and subsequent police budget cuts changed the trajectory for the city. (RELATED: ‘It’s Getting Worse Every Day’: Drug Use And Crime Strain Portland Business Owners)
Hiring police officers in Portland was briefly put on hold due to budget cuts, said Terri Wallo Strauss, a representative for Portland Police Bureau, to the Daily Caller News Foundation. They have lost 275 sworn members since 2020, and they are currently at the lowest number of sworn members in history, she said.
“We know our community is asking for more police response and presence and this is not the service our community expects or wants and we are trying our best to use the resources we have as effectively as possible,” Strauss told the DCNF.
The reduction in Portland’s population is the sixth-largest decline among the 50 largest U.S. cities, equating to a loss of over 17,000 residents, the WSJ reported. Political unrest between those on the left has also contributed to the decline after a push to defund the police included disbanding a team whose goal was to address gang violence and gun violence.
After the “defund the police” movement in Portland, police presence decreased considerably. A Portland police officer told the WSJ that police “are incredibly hesitant to do anything proactive because either they have a complaint filed against them or every stop is a fight.”
“It created a sense of lawlessness,” said Lionel Irving, who runs a nonprofit in Portland focused on reducing violence.
Additionally, Portland residents voted to legalize the possession of most drugs with the passage of Measure 110, leading to an uptick in public drug use and intoxication. In a poll conducted after legalization, 63% of Oregon voters supported bringing back criminal penalties for those who use drugs, and 51% of voters said Measure 1110 was bad for Oregon, according to DHM Research.
Portland saw a 23% population increase between 2000 and 2020, and the sudden reduction reverses a decades-long trend of growth. “Mayor Wheeler’s top priorities remain addressing the homeless crisis, reducing gun violence, improving livability, and strengthening our economy,” said a representative for Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler to the WSJ.
Craig Bachman, a former Portland resident, decided to move outside of Portland after an influx of RVs lined his street, his truck was broken into repeatedly and he watched an overdose in a nearby yard, the WSJ reported. He had been a Portland resident since 1997.
Wheeler’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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