Portland Trail Blazers, Timbers demand city budget prioritize public safety amidst crime crisis

The Portland Trail Blazers and Portland Timbers are bringing a renewed focus on safety downtown as crime concerns continue. Both teams sent a letter to the city council calling for public safety to be prioritized in Mayor Keith Wilson’s budget proposal.

“We have experienced unusually long response times from public first responders on non-event days, some in excess of 10 to 20 minutes when calling for assistance. We know these response times are caused, not by any lack of dedication, but by the current public safety staffing shortages at the city,” the letter states, according to KPTV.

Both the Trail Blazers and Timbers serve as a vital entertainment source in the city of Portland, and each team shared concern for the safety of their fans entering their facilities. The intent of the May 16 letter was to urge the city “not to pass a budget that puts new strains on a public safety system that is already stretched thin.”

Focus on police response times to Portland crime

The letter outlines concerns over the slow response times from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) had during past emergencies.

“If the public safety staffing level worsens, response times could be exacerbated. The same extended response times that impact us also impact fans, families, and small businesses across Portland,” both teams wrote.

Both the Trail Blazers and Timbers provide private security staff for each game and event but it’s intended as a supplement to PPB.

Dewayne Hankins, Trail Blazers president of business operations, and Heather Davis,  Timbers chief executive officer, authored the letter.

“Portland is at a crossroads, with the path we choose leading either to a prosperous recovery or a continuation of the negative economic pressures Portland families and businesses have felt since the pandemic,” they wrote.