Safe Gresham

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

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