Portland Interim Police Chief F. Heath Gorham at a Press Conference Yesterday Afternoon at Police Headquarters on Middle Street.

Portland Interim Police Chief F. Heath Gorham announced a change in how the Portland Police will operate for the foreseeable future.  Until further notice, Gorham is eliminating outside overtime details for most traffic and construction work.  The Department will instead prioritize having officers patrol areas of the city where police have been responding to violent crime.

Violent crime is up dramatically in the city of Portland Gorham said.  So far this year, there have been 42 shootings, 17 stabbings, 3 homicides and 14 robberies in Portland.   “We are challenged by violent crime” he said at a press conference yesterday afternoon at Police Headquarters, Middle Street, Portland.  “The Bayside neighborhood is a challenge,” Gorham said.

That dramatic increase plus a severe shortage of police officers has forced this change in policy.   Contributing to the shortage of police officers are rearly retirements by some, a significant number leaving the Portland area for more rural areas in the state, and officers just wanting to get out of law enforcement.  Pre-pandemic days during the hiring cycle there would be 300 applicants looking for employment in the Police Department.  At a most recent hiring event, there were 89 applicants.  Since 2020, Police Officers just don’t feel supported by the community which is a factor in the shortae of police officers.

One of the factors contributing to the increase in violent crime is that people are “really short tempered.  The behavior we are seeing is challenging.”