portland police department

[jimlv]

Hope all are well when they are reading this. I was wondering how the portland police dept. was. how is the morale, leadership, quality of life, schools etc. i am currently an officer in vegas and was considering a move up to the pacific northwest. I have heard great things about the region however i have never been up there. Vegas is a great department and i would be sad to leave but i am young and i dont think i want to start a family in this city. I am originally from new york and i love the seasons and i thought i wouldnt miss the greenery when i decided to come to the dessert, but i was indeed wrong. the website has a lot of info but i am interested in finding out more about the cost of living, school system, traffic, other jobs for my girlfriend and mother. also im interested in knowing about the shifts, overtime opportunities etc. is the department a hard charging, go out there and stop crime and make arrests kind of department. lol. i was also looking at the seattle washington area. if you guys have any input which would you suggest and why. thanks in advance and stay safe out there

[Meat]

Keep in mind that the PNW is EXTREMELY liberal. Your way of doing business in Vegas is not going to be welcomed up here. It's pathetic, but it's true. I know several officers who lateraled to both Seattle and Portland, from other big cities outside the PNW, and every single one of them was SHOCKED with the way things are done in both those agencies, compared to the rest of the country. Seattle and Portland are arguably the two most liberal cities in the U.S. It's not going to be what you're used to.

I have a friend who works for Seattle, and is on the lateral hiring committee. During a meeting, they were told to discourage out-of-state laterals because Seattle PD doesn't like the way the rest of the larger PD's in the country do business. Yet, they still "recruit" out-of-state laterals. They were told that as long as they basically pretend to encourage the hiring of out-of-state laterals, it would keep everyone happy.

With that said, I know that Portland and Seattle have some great officers and Portland is a great area to visit. Seattle's ok, too. Both will be much more expensive to live in than Vegas.

If you're looking for PNW agencies, also look at Tacoma PD, Lakewood PD, King County SO and Pierce County SO. They are all great departments with very little of the liberal nonsense you will run into in other places up here. Plus, they are very busy, have great morale, great pay, great equipment (all have take-home cars), and great people to work with.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[pdxrecruiter]

I suggest you visit Portland. Go on a ride-a-long. Determine for yourself what the attitude of the officer's here are. The application process and information on the department are on www.JoinPortlandPolice.com. We have excellent schools, committed officers and many opportunities. Many in Portland feel the leadership is top notch and the quality of life is what you make of it. We have many things to do and are close to the ocean, mountains, rivers and desert. We are hiring every month and welcome your application.

By the way we are testing again on 7/12/08. The sign up for the test begins on 6/9/08 to 6/20/08. Lateral officer applications are especially welcome.

If I can be of assistance, call me at 503-823-0618. Duane

[hoss502]

MEAT is right about the liberalness of it all up here. But I think you're going to find that in any major metro area anymore. My buddy also works for Metro and is looking to get back up this way. He told me "Man if I could take metro and put it in Portland, it would be the perfect combination."

He's from here so he understand the politics a little bit more than maybe someone who hasn't been up here before. If you're a tolerant person and you have thick skin then you can handle it. The occasional protest and the public always sticking their nose into police policy and procedure, you will have to deal with at some point.

But hey, it's not San FranSICKO and I actually like it here. I don't agre with the politics but believe me, there are plenty of places in the Portland area that don't share Portland's values.

It's probably one of the best places for outdoor recreation. Anything you want to do is just a short drive.

-Beach, one hour
-Skiing, one hour
-Sand dunes, three hours
-Desert/High country-2 hours

There are a lot of good communities to raise kids in up here. Take a trip, make sure you look around rural Clackamas county. Stay away from the west side(Hillsboro/Beaverton).

[lionheartednyhc]

Gotta couple questions in regards to PPB
-When you say they are liberal, how does this manifest itself in the department?
-What exactly is community policing, and how does it differ then typical policing?
-How does portland compare to bigger cities such as San Diego (My alternative) in regards to what you do on the job

thanks

[diverdown87]

You can't compare PPB to San Diego. California Law Enforcement has a complete different mindset than Law Enforcement with PPB. Portland Police has very good Officers, training and SGT's. It's the biggets agency and has the most action. The City leadership and Mayor's Office always stinks. The Political Correctness and junk their Officers put up with is way over the top. Civil Law suits, IA beefs, Citizen review boards and a goofy, freaky , liberal mindset you'll find very other places in the U.S.A. If you want to work in the Portland area I'd advise Gresham Police or Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. Both departments let their cops be cops and tend to stay out of the PC bull that goes on in Portland.