Safe Gresham

Measures we're taking to increase community safety, address challenges and support our Police officers.

Read about safer streets and neighborhoods through technology and partnerships.

Safe Gresham action so far

• Dedicated $5.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to public safety with City Council support.
• Launched a Drone as First Responder pilot program to support patrol staff during shifts.
• Expanded the City’s advanced cameras program in areas with high criminal activity, to help investigations.
• Invested over $2 million and opened a Youth Services division dedicated to youth violence prevention.
• Renewed focus on recruiting and retention efforts in the Gresham Police Department. New officers have joined Gresham Police.
• Participated in enhanced safety patrol missions with Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the Portland Police Bureau (gun violence, stolen vehicles, traffic safety, etc.).
• Partnered with the Safe Street Task Force and other local restorative justice and gun violence initiatives.
• Created a Special Victims Investigation Unit with existing staff.
• Hired over 13 non-sworn support staff including two crime analysts, three senior evidence technicians, and one criminalist.
• Hired a recruiter specific to the Gresham Police Department.
• Purchased new technology to make hiring easier. 
• Dedicated funds to promote Police recruiting efforts.

Additional efforts still underway

• Adding a Deputy District Attorney dedicated to gun violence.
• Providing additional crime prevention through environmental design support for local businesses.
• Hiring four additional community safety specialist positions.
• Adding an investigative analyst to focus on gun violence-related activities.
• Adding street level intervention personnel who can respond to shooting incidents with case management and intervention techniques to deter retaliatory violence.

Safe Gresham is a community violence effort to address gaps in the services provided to the community. 

Collaboration, intervention, prevention

Safe Gresham focuses on three strategies that work together at the same time: collaboration, intervention and prevention.

Collaboration efforts

Includes:

• Producing solutions together between the Gresham Police Department and Gresham community.
• Hiring additional staff, particularly non-sworn officers.
• Analyzing crime data to guide crime reduction strategies.
• Recruiting and retaining officers.

Intervention efforts

Includes:

• Partnering with other community-based organizations. This provides culturally responsive case managers and wraparound services for high-risk, gang-impacted youth and families.
• Participating in the Multnomah County Regional Community Violence Forum.

Prevention efforts

Includes:

• Creating a Youth Services division to provide youth violence prevention support. This program invests in culturally specific community-based organizations that can provide services for youth and young adults in Gresham.
• Hiring a Youth Violence Prevention Coordinator.
• Investing in positive recreational activities and engagement.

Why this is important

• Everyone is impacted by community violence.
• For actions to work they must be community-driven and include health and behavioral perspectives to address the root causes of violence.
• Working alongside culturally specific community-based organizations is critical. We want to meet our community where they are at and provide the resources they need.
• Positive social activities and getting people engaged, while giving them protection to do so, contributes to health and well-being. Many of these activities are exactly what the pandemic took away.
• Rebuilding safety requires keeping youth in the community surrounded by family, with health care, and easier access to recreational opportunities.

Police Lieutenant Jeff.Miller@GreshamOregon.gov

Youth Services Manager Emon.Ghassemi@GreshamOregon.gov