Portland Police Hires 16 Officers, Appoints New Command Staff

Since the beginning of 2026, PPB has hired 38 officers, a testament to PPB's intensified focus on rebuilding its ranks following years of declining staffing. Over the past year, PPB's Recruitment Unit developed and deployed a comprehensive strategy aimed at revitalizing hiring efforts. That work is showing results. In April 2026, PPB received the highest number of applicants since any April dating back to 2017.

May 2026 was a month of numerous anticipated retirements, and over the course of the month PPB offered our congratulations and well-wishes to 41 sworn members, including officers, detectives, criminalists, and command staff. That caused our sworn membership numbers to dip below 800 again, down to 793 sworn (all ranks). But with today's hire, we're back up to 809 sworn members, including 572 officers. Of those officers, 326 are assigned to patrol, responsible for calls for service.

It's important to note that these new hires are trainees and have 18 months of training before they're fully deployable. Some of that time is spent in the basic and advanced academies, and some is spent in real-world field training with a coach. There are currently 90 officers within some phase of their training.

"This is a memorable day for the Portland Police Bureau," said Chief Bob Day. "July of last year, the Police Bureau embarked on a goal to hire 21 officers a quarter, 84 officers a year. I'm proud to say that on July 1^st of this year you will have nearly 20 more officers than you had July 1^st of last year. With today's hire we have officially achieved our hiring goal for the fiscal year. We are finding many exceptional individuals to serve the communities of Portland and we're excited to welcome them to the PPB family."

PPB's current fiscal year runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.

The recruitment initiative included multiple layers of outreach and infrastructure upgrades, including new advertising campaigns, a social media effort highlighting current officers, and an updated communications platform to allow real-time engagement between recruiters and applicants. PPB has also refreshed its customer service approach to better support candidates throughout the hiring process.

The new hires are part of a broader push by PPB to increase its staffing levels while maintaining high standards for training and readiness. PPB reports its training program remains among the most comprehensive on the west coast and continues to evolve alongside advancements in technology and policing best practices.

As part of ongoing recruitment efforts, PPB has recently expanded its Recruitment Unit to improve outreach efforts locally and nationally. Personnel Sergeant Brad Yakots noted that PPB's hiring model emphasizes individual preparedness and values-driven service.

"To serve Portland, you must be the best of Portland," Yakots said. "If you are a potential candidate who is fit to serve as a Portland Police officer, we want to hear from you."

In addition to programmatic improvements, PPB has introduced logistical support for applicants, including relocation incentives and a more streamlined hiring timeline, which the Bureau says now averages around five months.

There are still 68 sworn member vacancies (all ranks) here at the Portland Police Bureau, and recruiting and hiring is full steam ahead.

PPB will host its next Hiring Workshop on July 11th offering prospective candidates a chance to learn more about the application process and complete the physical abilities test. More information is available on our recruiting page.JOIN PPB Also,follow our recruiters on Instagram.

Today's ceremony also recognized some recent promotions. James Crooker was appointed as Commander of Specialized Resources Division, Derrick Foxworth, Jr was appointed Commander of Central Precinct, and Chris Lindsey is being appointed as Commander of the Professional Standards Division.

Franz Schoening was appointed Assistant Chief of the Investigations Branch. Previously, Brian Hughes was appointed Deputy Chief of Police. Biographies of the chiefs are available on our website.

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