The past week has seen millions of people all across the United States urgently demand significant change to systems of policing and justice that have, from their very beginning, served as systems of oppression for communities of color. With its upcoming June 10th budget review, the City of Portland has an immediate opportunity and pressing responsibility to address the requests of its residents and to begin to implement these necessary changes. 

Even with a predicted $75 million revenue loss due to the economic impact of Covid-19, the current Budget Proposal allocates an almost $7 million increase to the Portland Police Bureau's funds. Mayor Wheeler has announced that he is ending the presence of SRO's in Portland Public Schools, but this is not nearly enough. Before approving the budget, the Mayor and City Commissioners must accept Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty's proposal to scrap the PPB's Gun Violence Reduction Team and Transit Police, which are known to be "the most racially unjust systems within the Portland Police Bureau". 

The GVRT, whose name was recently changed from Gang Enforcement Team, has been proven to unfairly target Black Portlanders. A 2018 audit found that 59% of drivers pulled over by the GET were African American, despite the fact that they only make up 6% of Portland's driving population. The Transit Police similarly provides an opportunity for unfair racial targeting, and its legitimacy has even been challenged in court. 

Let's join together to demand that the city of Portland defund these racist programs and to ensure that this small but needed step is promptly taken!