Commentary on Portland must remain grounded in truth | Mark Dion
Mark Dion is the mayor of Portland.
As public discourse ramps up during election season, it is vital that debate remains grounded in the full context of an issue rather than mischaracterizations. Recent public statements by political candidates regarding the city of Portland’s budget, public safety operations and emergency shelter procedures require clarification.
Portland residents deserve accurate information about how their tax dollars and other revenue sources are allocated and how municipal services operate.
While claims that public safety services consume the largest share of local city tax dollars are factually accurate, it does not give the full context of how the city allocates its budget. Our Health and Human Services and Fire Department budgets each have higher total spending allocations, and Health and Human Services in particular has a higher total state and local tax dollar allocation.
While public safety — which includes police, fire and 911 dispatch services — is a core municipal responsibility, these functions represent only one component of a comprehensive city budget heavily invested in social safety nets, public health and community support.
The additional assertion that the Portland Police Department does not possess a behavioral health program is completely false. In fact, Portland’s co-response model is recognized as a national benchmark and has been in existence since 2010. The Police Department’s Behavioral Health Unit is led by a licensed clinician and includes a substance use liaison and alternative response liaisons.
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The city recently expanded this team to six alternative response positions to directly resolve mental health and substance use calls, diverting individuals away from arrest and connecting them to treatment, detox, case management and crisis stabilization. Because of these efforts, the United States Department of Justice designated Portland’s Behavioral Health Unit as one of only 14 law enforcement mental health learning sites in the entire nation, and is one of the original seven mental health learning sites.
Suggesting that no behavioral health programming exists undermines the proven, compassionate work our professional clinicians and officers perform daily.
Finally, recent statements regarding the district attorney referring individuals involved in the criminal justice system directly to the city’s Homeless Services Center misrepresent how municipal emergency shelters operate. Access to the Homeless Services Center follows standard intake procedures managed through the city’s Prevention and Diversion Program at 39 Forest Ave. to ensure safety, equitable access and structured housing plans.
Emergency shelter beds cannot be treated as court-mandated diversion slots or substitute residential psychiatric or substance use treatment beds. Addressing justice-involved individuals experiencing severe mental illness and substance use requires state-level judicial platforms, court-directed treatment plans (such as progressive treatment plans) and dedicated residential treatment facilities — not the informal referral or dropping off of defendants at a municipal emergency shelter.
Addressing the intersection of unhoused populations, mental health crises and public safety requires honest coordination among city, county and state partners. Mischaracterizing city finances, ignoring established public safety programs and confusing shelter protocols do not advance real solutions.
Portland city staff and first responders work tirelessly to serve our community with compassion and accountability, and they deserve a public conversation rooted in truth.
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