Why Portland police officers appear scarce on the streets

Out of 798 sworn officers, only 35–45 are actively patrolling at any given moment

Portland’s 636,000 residents essentially rely on just one officer per 14,000–18,000 citizens.

Portland has 798 sworn police officers. Yet the question persists: Why aren’t they more visible?

According to Portland Police Bureau statistics, out of those 798 sworn officers, only 35–45 are actively patrolling the streets at any given moment. That equates to o…