Defund Portland’s Perfect Storm

Hit by soaring crime, Portland’s residents demand cops their elected pols defunded do more to protect them against criminals their sanctuary policies protect? “It seems like they disappeared.” Maybe Houdini lives?

Loretta Guzman, the owner of North Portland coffee shop, is one frustrated resident who told Fox News: “A lot of people feel really unsafe. They’re angry. They’re sad. They feel helpless.” You think? According to FBI stats, for instance, violent crime in Portland surged 37% between 2020 and 2021. “But, where are the cops,” Guzman asked. Local police records show that for any high-priority call, there’s been a 20.4-minute wait and that’s plenty of time to feel helpless. As Fox notes, Guzman’s not alone in that “a survey of Portland residents released earlier this year found 51% of respondents doubted a 911 call would be answered quickly.”

Yet, what in the world did Portland folks expect during the defund movement & as other progressive experiments with charging & bail rules were implemented in recent years? The Portland police says its lost 250 officers over the past 2 years due to resignations and retirements and at the very time violent crime against people and property soared; especially after the 2020 summer riots. It turned out to be a “Imperfect Storm” that any human radar could have seen coming. And, restaffing help is maybe 18 months away, the amount of time it takes to properly train a new recruit.

Davd Soul