Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Port of Portland Police Department additions increase Transit Police staffing to 31
TriMet and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office welcomed back the City of Portland and the Portland Police Bureau as a member of the Transit Police Division during a joint news conference on Friday, Aug. 29.
“As the largest city in TriMet’s service area, renewing our relationship with the City of Portland and the Portland Police Bureau is a benefit for TriMet, our riders and the region,” TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr.
The City of Portland ended a previous agreement with TriMet in late 2020. Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office became the law enforcement lead of Transit Police in 2021, and remains in the role.
“Welcoming the Portland Police Bureau back to Transit Police will increase our collective presence on the transit system, deterring crime, building trust, and reassuring riders,” Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said. “It will also expand our capacity for high-visibility safety missions focused on areas of public concern or with higher rates of criminal activity.”
“Over the past year, Portland has seen a promising decrease in crime, with both property and violent offenses trending downward,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said. “That improvement is the result of collaboration, community engagement, and tireless work by our law enforcement partners. Bringing the Portland Police Bureau back into the Transit Police Division builds directly on this momentum and helps ensure riders feel safe and supported.”
TriMet is contracting with the City of Portland for five PPB officers and one sergeant to serve on Transit Police.
“The Portland Police Bureau is proud to rejoin Transit Police to help ensure the safety and security of our community on and around the transit system,” PPB Chief Bob Day said. “As our city continues to grow and evolve, a collaborative police presence on public transportation is essential. We look forward to working alongside our partners to support safe and reliable transit for all.”
In addition to the PPB staff, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office recently added a lieutenant to Transit Police and the Port of Portland Police Department added three more officers.
“The more we’re able to collaborate across agencies, the better we can serve our community, ensure safety, and maintain a consistent presence throughout the TriMet system,” Port of Portland Public Safety & Security Director Beverly Pearman said.
The Transit Police Division will have 31 active officers with the return of PPB to the unit and recent increase of law enforcement personnel from MCSO and the Port of Portland Police Department. Other members of Transit Police include the Beaverton and Hillsboro police departments. TriMet pays the fully burdened rate for the law enforcement personnel assigned to Transit Police.
Transit Police brings local law enforcement together to secure TriMet’s system
TriMet’s Transit Police Division uses a task-force police model. We contract with local jurisdictions served by our transit system to assign officers to the police unit. This allows for the closest available officers — whether with Transit Police or the local law enforcement agency — to respond to incidents on TriMet. All calls are coordinated through the regional 911 system for the quickest response.
At its height, Transit Police included 65 law enforcement staff from 15 local police agencies. The national police officer shortage that intensified after the murder of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic, and hit its peak in 2023, led to hiring challenges for local police and sheriff’s departments. As they struggled with staffing, fewer officers were available to be assigned to Transit Police.
TriMet Executive Director of Safety and Security Andrew Wilson, who oversees the Transit Police Division for TriMet, continues to work with Multnomah County Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell and Transit Police Chief Matt Jordan to engage other local law enforcement agencies to join Transit Police.
Transit Police and TriMet’s public safety teams lead to nearly 50% decrease in calls for police services
TriMet has diversified and expanded our public safety teams since 2021. Contracted Transit Security Officers and Customer Safety Officers patrol our system, discouraging inappropriate and illegal behavior. TriMet’s Customer Safety Supervisors enforce our rules for riding. Our Safety Response Team connects people on and around our transit system with social services such as shelters, mental health resources and addiction services. Along with Transit Police, we have nearly 500 people dedicated to safety and security.
Calls for police services, which includes both possible crimes and non-criminal incidents such as welfare checks, dropped nearly 50% from 2021 through 2024.
“TriMet provides about 1.3 million trips a week,” Desue said. “The vast majority occur without incident due to the dedication of the Transit Police staff, their fellow officers and TriMet’s dedicated safety and security teams.”