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Label:
Ordinance
Authorize Intergovernmental Agreement with Multnomah County to fund three full-time equivalent positions to support the Organized Theft and Auto Theft Task Force not to exceed $350,000 per fiscal year
Passed
The City of Portland ordains:
Section 1. The Council finds:
- Organized retail theft and automobile theft are major concerns for the City of Portland and surrounding communities, impacting the livability of our neighborhoods.
- In 2023, Mayor Wheeler and Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced the creation of two local task forces dealing with organized retail theft and auto theft.
- These task forces are designed to implement a coordinated efforts among regional law enforcement agencies, including the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), and a dedicated team of prosecutors and investigators at the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office (MCDA).
- The City wishes to support MCDA’s efforts by providing funding to support dedicated staff in the MCDA office supporting the task force with investigative and administrative work in the amount of $350,000 annually for Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- Both the City of Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDA) have traditionally contracted to coordinate their efforts for similar concerns.
- Sufficient funds have been appropriated in PPB's budget to fund this agreement for Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:
- The Chief of Police is authorized to execute an agreement between the City and Multnomah County in an annual amount not to exceed $350,000 and in a form similar to Exhibit A.
- The Mayor and Auditor are hereby authorized to pay for the support of these task force positions from the PPB FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 budgets.
- The Chief of Police is authorized to execute amendments to the agreement, including amendments that annually renew the Agreement in an amount not to exceed $350,000 plus annual funding increases for cost of living and benefits if City Council appropriates sufficient funding.
Official record (Efiles)
An ordinance when passed by the Council shall be signed by the Auditor. It shall be carefully filed and preserved
in the custody of the Auditor (City Charter Chapter 2 Article 1 Section 2-122)
Passed by Council
Auditor of the City of Portland
Simone Rede
Impact Statement
Purpose of proposed legislation and background information
Multnomah County Commissioners and the Mayor’s Office of the City of Portland agreed that support two task forces led by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt to assist in crime reduction efforts.
DA Schmidt’s office dedicated five full-time equivalent positions to address two different major types of theft that are severely impacting our communities: organized retail theft and automobile theft. The task forces are staffed with two deputy district attorneys, two investigators from the District Attorney’s Office, and share a legal assistant.
The task forces work with local community members, regional law enforcement, and business partners to strategize efforts to curtail the targeted crimes.
Financial and budgetary impacts
The Portland Police Bureau has earmarked $350,000 toward the maintenance of this Intergovernmental Agreement for Fiscal Year 2023-24 and Fiscal Year 2024-2025 from its existing appropriations.
Community impacts and community involvement
Organized retail and automobile theft has a significant impact on the lives of the individuals and communities that make up the City of Portland. Like many things in life, the impact is not uniform between all communities; those who are considered more vulnerable are usually more exposed to the consequences of these crimes.
Small business owners are more susceptible to organized retail theft than larger corporate entities, having smaller profit margins and less ability to recover from crime on the scale that occurs with organized retail theft. Larger corporate interests can close stores and move away, leaving neighborhoods without access to vital items or much needed jobs.
Vacant buildings and abandoned vehicles, usually stripped of valuable parts, make areas vulnerable to other types of crime and signal a deterioration of livability.
The City of Portland, through its Police Bureau, wants to send a clear message to the community that we support the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office’s efforts and the task forces set to tackle these challenging issues.
100% renewable goal
Not applicable.
Financial and budget analysis
Analysis provided by City Budget Office
The Police Bureau has sufficient budgeted resources for this in the current fiscal year.