North Bend police report cites staffing gains, rising calls as council moves ahead with public safety fee ballot title

Police department leadership told the North Bend City Council on March 10 that the department made staffing gains and secured several grants in 2024, even as total calls for service rose 31% from about 18,000 in 2023 to about 23,000 in 2024.

The presentation, delivered by the police chief (name not specified in the transcript), said the department currently has 12 patrol officers and 19 budgeted positions citywide and is seeking to reach 20 budgeted positions. The chief reported two recruits in the training pipeline, including one who graduated from the DPSST academy (named in the transcript as Josh Nowotny). The department also promoted a patrol sergeant and designated watch commanders to expand supervisory depth.

The memo and presentation outlined multiple grants and equipment updates: a $56,000 school violence prevention grant to fund electronic locks and revive a D.A.R.E.-style program across grade levels; approximately $120,000 through a COPS hiring grant to help fund new officers; a $10,000 award from the 3 Rivers Foundation for active-shooter response kits and stop sticks; and about $15,000 from the Oregon Department of Transportation for overtime tied to traffic enforcement campaigns. The department also described a five-year cloud-storage partnership with Safely to replace aging in-house servers and noted recent deployment of automatic license plate readers and speed-enforcement trailers.

The department reported declines in burglaries and robberies in 2024 while traffic stops and traffic crashes rose. The chief attributed many crime reductions to staffing and proactive enforcement, and he said technology and community-focused positions helped officers spend more time deployed in the field. The department reported 694 recorded calls for service for the community resource officer in 2024 (the presenter said this is a minimum figure because of record classifications), and staff said a recent site count found about 15 campers at the Harbor Drive location during winter; the chief said the Harbor Drive area generated roughly 26 calls for service over the period reviewed, with other downtown areas showing smaller counts.

City staff presented a separate fiscal memo recommending the council ask voters to authorize an increase in the city's public safety fee, which has remained $15 since it was introduced. The staff recommendation (described in the meeting) was to ask voters to authorize a modest increase (the staff recommendation discussed by staff at the meeting was a $5 increment). Staff told the council the ballot titles for the May election have already been published and cannot be amended before the election filing deadlines. Council questions and staff comments also covered how proposed ballot language would be implemented if voters approve a measure: the council would set the actual fee amount and related hearings after voter approval.

Council and staff asked that explanatory materials be posted online so voters can see how any new revenue would be used, and staff said it would prepare a line-item breakdown showing how grant-funded positions affect the baseline staffing picture (for example, four grant-funded positions in 2024 that could reduce staffing if the grants expire).

No formal vote was recorded on the fee at the March 10 work session; staff and a council member noted the practical considerations for timing, including filing deadlines that make changing ballot language before May difficult and the option to delay to the November ballot.

The council asked for additional information on overtime costs, a grant-funded FTE breakdown, and public communications explaining the proposed revenue uses.