As Friends of PSR, we are united in our unequivocal support for the original goals of PSR & specific actions needed to restore & support the program. #SavePSR
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ALT An official advertisement from Portland Street Response - Here to Help. Mental & Behavioral Health Crisis Teams. Call 911 to request a PSR team.
ALT Mayor Wilson announced he has made unilateral policy decisions with major implications for the future of Portland Street Response. Overall, Friends of PSR applauds this announcement. The ability to both respond to more call types and voluntarily transport people to services furthers PSR’s development as an effective and co-equal branch of the first-responder system. We are concerned about PSR’s potential increased proximity to law enforcement activities, which could undermine PSR’s original mission as an unarmed, independent 911 response that provides an effective alternative to police for people in crisis. It is also something explicitly warned against by the last independent program evaluation. Independent evaluations of PSR should be re-established to guide how these developments maintain PSR’s mission to provide the right response to each call type and location.
ALT A representative with PROTEC17, the union representing the majority of Portland Street Response workers, spoke to OPB on concerns about PSR co-responding too often with police: “Whiteside did mention some PSR staff hesitation about working alongside law enforcement. She said many staff have worked hard to build trusted relationships with people living outside. She said some of those unhoused people are fearful or distrustful of the police, and having PSR partner with police could impact the trust they’ve built.”
ALT Community outreach and input was such an important part of developing Portland Street Response, but that approach has been missing from the program as of late. People who are impacted by PSR should always have a voice in its development, as they did in the beginning. This announcement, regardless of opinion, continues a trend of recent years where PSR policy decisions are made behind closed doors with little to no community or Council input. We look forward to Mayor Wilson and City Council re-engaging Portlanders and providing transparent and evidence-based decision-making related to PSR. Friends of PSR is looking forward to being part of the ongoing work to ensure PSR's success.
ALT Independent evaluations have warned against involving PSR in enforcement activities, such as sweeps, which would erode PSR’s ability to maintain trust with community members in crisis. That trust is vital to ensuring PSR’s long term success. We hope City leaders will follow that recommendation. Portland Street Response should be established as a co-equal part of our public safety system alongside police, fire, and ambulance services. And they need to have the budget, staffing, and resources to be most effective. We look forward to Mayor Wilson providing further details regarding what these new policies will look like in practice.