Last year, Portland Street Response expanded from a pilot program to a citywide service and answered more than 7,000 calls that would traditionally be handled by police. That’s according to a new report from Portland State University that also found that PSR aided in reducing the workload for police and hospitals. Despite the success of the program so far, researchers note that systemic issues could hinder overall effectiveness. Alex Zielinski is the Portland City Government Reporter for OPB. She joins us to share more details on the report and the future of the program.
Think Out Loud