Gresham Safety:
Why We Need Measure 26-239
Gresham is a vibrant and growing community that we are proud to call home, but we need strong systems to support our health and safety so everyone can feel safe here.
Measure 26-239 will make critical investments to our public safety services to improve police, fire, mental health, and homeless services. Without these funds, the city may be forced to make deep cuts that will reduce our safety. Join a broad coalition of supporters that are voting yes on Measure 26-239 this May.
Police & Law Enforcement
Fire & Emergency Services
Mental Health & Homeless Services
Accountability & Transparency
Gresham is a vibrant and growing community that we are proud to call home, but we need strong systems to support our health and safety so everyone can feel safe here.
Measure 26-239 will make critical investments to our public safety services to improve police, fire, mental health, and homeless services. Without these funds, the city may be forced to make deep cuts that will reduce our safety. Join a broad coalition of supporters that are voting yes on Measure 26-239 this May.
Gresham
Police Department
Our local police work hard to serve the people of Gresham, but budget cuts to public safety staffing and services make it difficult – especially as safety concerns involving gun violence, homelessness, and mental health crises are only becoming more complex. To most effectively serve our community and improve our public safety responses, we must pass Measure 26-239.
Measure 26-239 will:
Provide for intervention and de-escalation tactics to help connect those experiencing a mental health crisis to services.
Ensure that police officers are available 24-7 to respond to needs in the community.
Dedicate resources to stopping gun violence in our community.
Add police officers to address the unacceptable rising rate of violent and property crime in Gresham.
Reopen the Rockwood Public Safety Building, providing neighborhood residents walk-in access to records, property recovery, and other services.
and more!
Gresham Fire
& Emergency
Response Services
Our growing community and increased budget constraints have led to delayed response times to emergency calls. Responses to priority calls were 35% slower in 2022 than they were in 2020. Measure 26-239 will make our community safer by helping to reduce response times.
Measure 26-239 will:
Preserve up to 21 firefighter positions and add up to 16 new positions to address emergency calls and ensure firefighters are available 24-7 to respond to emergencies in the community.
Improve the response time for emergency calls.
Restore fire prevention teams to ensure local schools are regularly inspected and offer education classes on fire prevention to the public.
Add dedicated staff to assist community members that contact emergency services frequently, freeing up resources to improve overall response times.
Mental Health
Response
& Homelessness Services
With the growing need to help those experiencing a crisis or living on the streets, it is critical that our public safety response includes the ability to de-escalate encounters with law enforcement and connect people to services in the community. The levy will support critical capacity to take care of some of the most vulnerable in our community.
Ensure staffing to respond on the weekends and evenings to those experiencing homelessness and connect them to addiction, mental health, and other rehabilitative services.
Expand the mental health crisis team with nurses, EMTs, and clinicians to help respond to people experiencing crisis and help them get the care they need.
Add case management staff to coordinate referral of those in crisis to mental health services.
Accountability
& Public
Transparency
Taxpayers should have confidence that their dollars are being wisely spent. That is why the proposed levy includes several important “watch dog” safeguards to give the public confidence in how this money is being used.
All funds paid under the measure would be subject to a community oversight committee and annual audits to ensure their effective use.
All funds paid under the measure would be placed in a dedicated fund to only be used for the designated public safety services.
The levy will be in place for five years only at which point voters will decide on whether it should be renewed.