Portland Police Chief Mike Reese has released a video statement about what's been going on in the bureau. And some of it is definitely good news. For one thing, crime in our city is at its lowest level since the 1960s, Reese said. For another, the bureau has been working to diversify and 40 percent of new hires are women and minorities.
Other good news is that police use of force continues to decline, and complaints about police are down.
But Reese says gang-related incidents have climbed since 2010, and more work needs to be done. He praised Antoinette Edwards, the Office of Youth Violence Prevention and Gang Enforcement Team officers for their work, and commended the Enough is Enough group for tackling violence in our community.
Check out the full video here.