PPB Releases Video to Explain Bureau Staffing

In this article

The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is pleased to debut a new video explaining how Bureau staffing is structured and why the total number of sworn members does not reflect the number of officers available to respond to 911 calls at any given time.

As of summer 2026, PPB has 808 sworn members. While that number is often cited publicly, many sworn members serve in essential roles outside of routine patrol, including investigations, specialized units, supervision, training, and command staff. In addition, officers may be in training or on approved leave.

The video walks viewers through how staffing is allocated and explains why an estimated 10 to 20 patrol officers are responding to 911 calls in each precinct during a typical shift.

Other Resources

PPB gets frequent questions about our staffing, what takes up officers' time, and why some call responses take longer than others. As part of our commitment to transparency and engagement with our community, we are pleased to offer updated resources on this topic.

PPB maintains an updated Police Staffing Numbers dashboard that not only lists our sworn personnel strength, but breaks them down by rank, role, and assignment. The page also provides context for the workload of a patrol officer. People are surprised to learn that PPB responded to 221,000 calls for service last year, which breaks down to about 607 dispatched calls every day. This does not include proactive policing and problem-solving missions, which are aimed at addressing specific public safety problems and reducing future calls for service.

PPB also offers an Understanding 911 Call Priorities information page, which explains how PPB prioritizes response to different kinds of calls, what factors affect response times, and why response times can vary so significantly, and how everyone can help improve police response. All calls for service are important to us, and our Bureau members work hard every day to be responsive to the people we serve.

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