What’s Up Salem Besties!

Thank you all so much for nominating award winners last week, we'll be announcing our winners this week on IG. Stay tuned!

Also, we are looking for sponsors for this event. We'll make sure you and your team get the VIP treatment and a TON of recognition online and at the show. Let me know if you're interested...

Thanks to everyone who joined us downtown this weekend for the first STAC meetup. If you aren't familiar, don't feel bad. This was their first event, but they'll be doing something downtown every month. (It would be awesome to see similar groups making similar things happen all over Salem...)

But if you're interested in learning more about STAC and upcoming events, let me know and I'll get you added to our growing distro.

Today I’m writing about the current state of our police department. Honestly curious to see how you all feel about this since it’s the first time I’ve written about a topic like this.

Let me know. I always love your feedback.

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If you've been wondering whether Salem has enough police officers to keep our community safe, here's what you need to know:

The discussion came to the forefront at this month's city council meeting as part of a comprehensive safety and livability strategic plan. This plan will directly influence how Salem allocates its budget when council meets for crucial funding discussions on September 18th.

The timing is critical because, as Interim City Manager Krishna Namburi explained to the council, "if safety and livability has been identified as number one by this council and the community, we need to continue to have this conversation and also tied to the budget discussions." The decisions made in September will determine whether Salem can fund restored bicycle patrols, expanded mental health co-response teams, and other proactive policing initiatives that residents have been requesting.

When I sat down with Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack for our podcast back in February, one thing became crystal clear: this department has been through a lot, but they're fighting their way back.

"We're down to 12 vacancies today," Chief Womack told the city council at their August 11 meeting, a significant improvement from the department's lowest point just a couple of years ago. "We've cut that number in half and we're going to keep filling those positions."

This represents a turnaround from our February conversation, when the Chief reflected on the unprecedented challenges during the pandemic and social justice protests of 2020-2021. "There was so much pressure and attention and criticism of law enforcement at the time... It was a very challenging environment," he told me on the show.

The department's recovery story is one of persistence and strategic recruitment. For three consecutive years, Salem Police has hired over 20 officers annually, what Chief Womack calls "record level hiring" for the agency.

During our February podcast conversation, the Chief expressed real pride in this achievement: "I'm really proud of the fact that through the pandemic, through the pressure that we were under and the criticism, we were able to hire that many new officers into our organization."

This hiring surge came during what he described to me as a national crisis for law enforcement recruitment. Applications for Salem police positions plummeted from 300-400 per recruitment cycle to just 30 at the worst point. The department also faced an exodus of experienced officers, with some choosing early retirement while others left the profession entirely.

"I'd never seen that before in my career," Chief Womack told me about mid-career officers leaving the profession. "That's the kind of pressure that we were under."

While the hiring progress is encouraging, Salem still faces significant staffing challenges. The department is authorized for 196 officers but currently employs approximately 184 with the existing vacancies. This translates to about 1.03 officers per 1,000 residents—well below the national average of 3.5 officers per 1,000 residents and even below Oregon's state average of 2.46.

Perhaps more concerning is the historical context that the Chief shared with me during our February interview. "I've got the same number of budgeted police officers today that I did 17 years ago in 2008," he explained, despite Salem's growth and changing service demands.

This staffing constraint has forced difficult operational decisions. Most notably, the department eliminated its downtown bicycle team, which once included eight officers dedicated to proactive community policing.

"At its height, there were eight officers dedicated downtown doing proactive community policing work. That team doesn't exist anymore," Chief Womack told the council in August. "In effect, we have been cutting... We haven't added staffing."

As Salem considers its staffing needs, it's worth understanding the broader conversation happening in communities nationwide about police resources. There are several perspectives on whether hiring more officers is the best approach to public safety.

Supporters of increased police staffing often point to:

Those who question increased police hiring typically raise concerns about:

In Salem's case, city leadership appears to be exploring a balanced approach. The strategic plan presented to council includes not just police staffing but also mental health co-response teams, increased cleanliness programs, and collaboration with county partners—reflecting recognition that public safety involves multiple strategies.

As Councilor Nordike noted during the August meeting, "There is room for serving the many other people who do not need a police officer to respond to them... seeing the pilot co-response model emerge on a city document is exciting."

City leadership recognizes that temporary measures aren't sustainable solutions. Interim City Manager Krishna Namburi presented an ambitious strategic plan to the council that addresses both immediate needs and long-term vision.

The plan includes exploring sustainable funding for a restored bicycle team in fiscal year 2027, implementing a co-response model pairing officers with mental health professionals, and enhanced cleanliness programs through the SOS team.

"We have to be very strategic about understanding what is the cost of operations for 10 years rather than focusing on cost of operations for one year at a time," Namburi told the council, emphasizing the shift from reactive to proactive services.

Rather than wait for long-term solutions, the department has implemented creative interim measures. Using salary savings from vacant positions, they've temporarily increased police presence in downtown and Northeast Salem through overtime assignments.

"We've already had just within the first two weeks of the program, we had about 40 different shifts filled by overtime officers," Chief Womack reported to the council. These officers provide flexible coverage, adjusting their hours for evenings and weekends when problems typically emerge.

One recent success story involved over 30 youth gathering after hours at Riverfront Park. "Those officers that were there filling the gaps on overtime were able to make contact, issue warnings, get those kids out of the park before something bad happened," the Chief explained.

Chief Womack acknowledges the department has transformed from a proactive to reactive agency, but he sees reasons for hope. "We're excellent at that," he said of their emergency response capabilities, pointing to recent successes like quickly locating a missing 11-year-old child.

The challenge now is finding sustainable funding to restore proactive community policing capabilities while maintaining excellent emergency response.

"If we want positive, proactive community policing, it's going to require more staffing," Chief Womack emphasized to the council.

As Salem approaches critical budget discussions in September, the community will have opportunities to weigh in on priorities and funding options. The progress made in hiring, combined with innovative partnerships and strategic planning, suggests Salem is building a foundation for long-term public safety success.

While challenges remain, the trajectory is clear: Salem Police are steadily rebuilding their ranks and exploring creative solutions to serve their growing community better. As Chief Womack noted in February, "Very, very, very proud of that work and very proud of the people that chose to come into this profession during that time. Just great, great people."

What do you think? Is there a need for more police officers in Salem?

Thanks for keeping up with Salem this week!

Spotted something interesting in town? Drop us a note at [email protected] We love hearing from you.

See you soon.