Mayor wants money to hire retired cops as shootings continue

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is calling for more money to rehire officers who have recently retired to address a staffing shortage as homicides have reached the highest level in more than 20 years. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Wheeler also on Friday called for a citywide expansion of a team that helps people experiencing homelessness or low-acuity behavioral health issues to reduce the number of calls police must handle. Wheeler said to that end he expected to ask for a significant funding increase to allow non-emergency calls to be diverted from the 911 emergency dispatch system to an alternate line, the city’s 311 program.