Context

In 2020, Portland undertook a historic charter reform, bringing all major public safety bureaus under a unified structure for the first time. This restructuring created a pivotal opportunity to rethink how the city approaches public safety—centering equity, community trust, and effective crisis response. With national conversations on police reform intensifying, city leaders sought to engage the public in shaping a new vision for safety that reflected community priorities.

Approach

We designed and facilitated an inclusive engagement process that prioritized input from diverse community voices. Through listening sessions, stakeholder interviews, and collaborative discussions, we gathered critical insights on public safety needs, challenges, and opportunities. This process culminated in a comprehensive findings report, providing city leaders with data-driven recommendations to guide future policy and structural decisions.

View the full report.

Contributions

• Designed and led a citywide engagement strategy to reshape Portland’s public safety system, ensuring an equitable and community-driven approach to reform.

• Directed a cross-functional team in conducting listening sessions, stakeholder interviews, and a public survey, prioritizing input from historically under-represented communities, frontline service providers, and public safety officials.

• Synthesized complex insights for a high-impact findings report that provided city leaders with data-driven policy recommendations, directly influencing the strategic direction of Portland’s new public safety framework.

• Bridged the gap between policymakers and the public by translating diverse community concerns into actionable strategies, fostering trust and accountability in the reform process.