Portland council confirms Robert Day as police chief after public testimony and debate

Portland City Council confirmed Robert Day as chief of police in a 12-0 vote Wednesday, Feb. 19, after public testimony from local officials and community leaders and extended questioning by council members.

The confirmation completes Mayor Wilson's nomination process and follows a public presentation that highlighted Day's decades of law enforcement experience and his recent work as interim chief. Mayor Wilson told council, "I respectfully request the city council support in confirming Robert Day as the chief of police for the city of Portland." The mayor said Day has led initiatives on crime reduction and community engagement and urged the council to back his nomination.

Councilors heard a recorded endorsement from Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Petersen and in-person testimony from pastors, neighborhood leaders and nonprofit representatives who said Day has worked constructively with behavioral-health and community partners. JW Matt Hennessy, pastor at Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church, said Day "takes to heart" community concerns and praised his willingness to change practices after being challenged. Several supporters cited local collaborations launched while Day served as interim chief, including deflection programs and a coordinated care center opened in late 2024.

Council members questioned Day on staffing, recruitment, alternative response models and safeguards against improper federal cooperation. Day described recruitment challenges shared by many U.S. police agencies and said the bureau has added a recruiter and recently swore in 10 new officers, six of whom were people of color. On officer diversity he said, "The best recruiters are the people doing the job," and described efforts to value and retain officers who can in turn recruit from their communities.

On alternatives to sworn responses, Day said Portland's public safety support specialists (PS3s) are underutilized and should be more integrated into precinct operations. He proposed creating lead roles for PS3s, improving supervision and changing dispatch procedures so PS3s can be sent directly by the city's dispatch center. "We have 40 of them," Day said; "we need to give them ownership and make them part of precinct teams." Several councilors pressed for a data-driven review of which 911 calls require sworn officers and for faster progress on reallocating lower‑priority responses to non‑sworn teams.

Councilors also raised the risk that federal partners could push for actions that conflict with state law or the city's policies. Day said he has repeatedly made clear to federal partners that Portland officers must follow state law and bureau directives and that he would notify the mayor and council if a federal request appeared to violate local rules. "If we became aware of [improper requests], we want to look at that and make sure, is it an intentional act?" Day said.

Some public testimony raised concerns about police culture and accountability. Tribal, Black and immigrant community speakers urged the council to prioritize anti‑racism, stronger civilian oversight and transparency. Charlie Michelle Wesley of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde asked the council "to start addressing the core city values" including anti‑racism and to ensure values are implemented systemically.

After the public testimony and questions, the council moved to confirm Day. The motion passed 12-0. Councilors who spoke in favor cited his partnerships with behavioral-health providers, experience supervising large operations and outreach to communities of color.

The confirmation does not change the council's ongoing oversight responsibilities for policing policy, the new police accountability body being created under the charter, or budget discussions that will occur later this year. Councilors flagged follow-up items including continued work on call reallocation, tracking PS3 integration and regular briefings on recruitment and retention.

With the vote, Day remains responsible for leading the Portland Police Bureau through the city's next budget cycle and the start of the new government structure later in 2025.