What is an accurate description of
Portland as far as crime is that it has a very low rate of violent crime - 24.5 per 10,000 residents per FBI stats. That's just higher than Sioux Falls, SD (22.5) and Providence RI (24.3). Lower than Billings, Montana (24.9).
Other cities in the West that it has less violent crime for comparison -
- Tempe (25.9), Topeka Ks (29.2), Omaha (31.4), Reno (32.6), Salt Lake City (42.1).
- South Bend has almost double the violent crime (46.1).
- Tulsa's rate - 50.9 per 10,000.
- Birmingham AL - 86.1 and Little Rock, AR - 87.4 - both almost four times more violent than Portland.
As someone who has lived in Portland, have numerous friends and family who have lived and worked there and had members go to Lewis and Clark, Reed College, Portland State as well as to U of O, and who have had residences downtown and throughout the city and the metro area, Portland is certainly safer and there are not many places, if. any, that you cannot walk or live. Murder, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and arson are all down since 2008. The only outlier is stolen cars, which rose by 47 percent in the same period.
We've just reached a point where political expediency, divisiveness and vindictiveness in the pursuit of retaining power is a new norm.
The overall crime rate in Portland' has continuously dropped since 2004 and is about 60% lower than it was then. See grahic -
https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/us/or/portland/crime-rate-statistics. (Searchable for other cities, too)
All this improvement in fighting crime and making the city safer was under Democratic mayors, progressive if you will - at least as safe in violent crime to Sioux Falls or Billings.
I wouldn't hold your breath awaiting a Law and Order mayor candidate who, if I can paraphrase you, isn't spineless, unwilling to placate the radicals, and an eroding civil power structure. Whatever Portland is doing to lower their crime rate by 60% and achieve that degree of safety for its citizens is worth emulating. A lot of work by the city, police and community have gone into that decrease. Anyway, just our experiences.