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Salem council accepts private donation to fund two homeless‑service officers despite public opposition
Summary
After hours of public comment and council debate about privatized policing and the mayor's unrelated petition on camping laws, the council voted 6–3 to accept a $180,000 private donation to fund two additional Homeless Service Team officers for six months to expand coverage from four to seven days a week.
The Salem City Council voted Oct. 27 to accept a $180,000 private donation intended to fund two additional Homeless Service Team (HST) officers for six months, a move that drew extensive public comment and divisions among councilors.
City Manager Krishna (referred to in meeting comments by first name) had presented the council’s “safety and livability” pilot package earlier: a mental‑health co‑response (CARE) model, expanded HST coverage from four to seven days per week, and expanded cleaning services. The package’s total general‑fund cost was estimated at $626,000; the $180,000 donation would reduce the city’s share for the six‑month pilot.
Chief Trevor Womack, Salem’s police chief,…
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