Rene has been a champion for public safety on the City Council, leading the fight for the additional ambulances the city needed and reducing 911 response times. He is working to create an environment where law enforcement is visible, effective, and accountable. As Mayor, Rene will prioritize gun violence as the urgent emergency it is, and work to make Portland the safest city in America by giving first responders the tools they need to protect the vulnerable.
Rene’s plan to make Portland the safest city in America:
- Commit to 1,000 Sworn Police Officers and a Precinct in Each District. This will require continued improvements in both retention and academy pipeline.
- Return Neighborhood and Business Watch Programs. These are essential to empowering Portlanders at the neighborhood level and partnering with law enforcement.
- Stabilize Public Safety Budgets. For too long, public safety budgets have been penny-wise and pound foolish. Rene led the charge to stabilize Portland Fire’s budget to lessen dependency on overtime; he will continue that work with respect to Portland Police and work with government partners to stabilize funding for the criminal justice system.
- Center Victims and Those Who Follow the Rules. So much of recent Oregon dialogue has been focused on the perpetuators. Rene will center victims of crime in policy for the city of Portland.