TriMet to Redirect Funding for Transit Police

A new approach to public safety is in the works in Portland.

1 minute read

June 23, 2020, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


TriMet Portland

TriMet / Flickr

TriMet, the public transit agency in Portland, Oregon, recently announced a plan to redirect $1.8 million in funding from Transit Police and other sources to community-based safety programs.

TriMet also announced plans to implement a three-pronged approach to reimagine public safety:

  1. Conduct community-wide listening sessions to gather feedback from riders, front-line employees and community members on the best approaches to providing security on our system that is free from bias.

  2. Establish a panel of local and national experts to advise us on national best practices for transit security, equity and community engagement in safety and security

  3. Pilot new non-police response resources, such as mobile crisis intervention teams for mental and behavioral health issues.

The announcement also includes details of the agency's past efforts to address equity.

Wednesday, June 17, 2020 in TriMet

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