🌱 Police Force Understaffed + Behavioral Health Crisis Discussion

What up, peeps? We got a Thursday in the house. We got an almost weekend in our fine city. Don't believe me?

• City leaders are talking about the behavioral health crisis
• We've got a pirate-themed comedy night
• We've got boilable baby shoes

Let me explain the weirdness.

But first, today's weather:

We've got early clouds and showers with a high of 69.

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Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. City leaders have promised for months to expand Portland’s police force—while struggling to actually do it. Cops have retired or resigned from the force faster than Portland could hire them. As of last week, the Portland Police Bureau had the lowest number of sworn employees since 1989. With 791 cops, Portland now has 1.2 for every 1,000 people in the city. The national average is 2.4 officers per 1,000, according to the FBI, which tracks law enforcement staffing across the country. The median among the top 50 largest cities is 1.8. (Willamette Week)
2. When addressing a problem as intractable as homelessness, you have to think outside the box. That's why the city of Portland and local nonprofit Trash for Peace launched a pilot program in February of last year to assist people experiencing homelessness. The program is Ground Score Association and it pays people to pick up trash in Portland for $20 an hour, and has proven to be successful. (KGW.com)
3. Last week, Portland election officials fined Portland City Council hopeful Rene Gonzalez with a $77,000 fine for accepting a sweetheart deal on his downtown office space. Property magnate and Gonzalez supporter Jordan Schnitzer was renting out over 3,000 square feet of office space downtown for only $250 a month. Now, Gonzalez has asked city officials to drop his hefty $77,000 fine for this election violation. (OPB)
4. Cheer up, cyclists, your city does care! The Portland City Council will decide on Wednesday if it will give an engineering firm an additional $2.36 million to move forward with the construction process for replacing the NE 42nd Ave. Bridge. The Lombard Street overpass connects Northeast Portland to the Portland International Airport, serving as an important access point for thousands of workers in the city’s Airport District. However, the current bridge has several problems, such as a weight restriction and vulnerabilities to earthquakes. (KOIN)
5. In discussing Portland's homeless crisis, the city's growing issues with its behavioral health crisis is a common topic. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury hosted a virtual discussion on Tuesday with behavioral health stakeholders about what should be done to better address the needs of people in crisis. One solution already in the works is the new Behavioral Health Resource Center downtown. (KGW)

Today in Portland:

• It's another Last Thursday on Alberta Street! NE Portland's monthly celebration of art and craft. I thought they were all done, but then the Alberta neighborhood said, "We've got time for one more!" Come on up for sweet fall vibes: vendors, performers, music, food and more! Always free and always all ages! 6:00 - 9:00 PM.
• Low Bar Chorale presents Back to Schoolhouse Rock at the Alberta Rose Theater! "This show is an interactive singalong experience featuring the greatest songs from the formative Gen-X masterpiece. Interplanet Janet, Figure 8, Conjunction Junction — these songs defined our childhood, and (let's be honest) taught us most of our functional knowledge for our adult lives." Doors open at 6:30 PM.
• For a few laughs, come see Dishoom Comedy and their Bollywood Action Comedy Show at Desert Island Studios. This is a live comedy show where we roast and celebrate Bollywood action movies! This month they're showing some amazing clips from the sequel to Bollywood mega-hit Enthiran: 2.0. 8:00 - 10:00 PM.
• What? You want more comedy? Okay, but you'll have to dress up like a pirate. Hello Sucker! presents A Pirate-themed Comedy Show at Cascade Brewing Barrel House! Join stand-up comedians Joyce Nance and Todd Basil at Cascade Brewing Barrel House for a chance to meet pirates and other people, eat and drink, and enjoy a great comedy show. Doors open at 7:00 PM.
• For some folk, soul and rock 'n' roll, come to the Landmark Saloon to see The Prairie Benders. In a style that conjures Neil Young, Gillian Welch and Jason Molina, The Prairie Benders both subvert and travel within the long weedy roads of the folk rock genre. Also performing will be the Sin City Ramblers. Showtime is 8:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Travel Portland: "The views from the Arial Tram are unmatched. Have you taken a ride recently? You should! #ThisIsPortland 📷: @Katorx #PDX #PDXNOW #TravelPortland #TravelOregon #PortlandOregon #HereForPortland #PDXtram" (Travel Portland via Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Did you know the Spotted Towhee used to be called the Oregon Towhee? These large sparrows forage on the ground and use a two-footed backwards hop that allows them to scratch the ground and uncover tasty morsels. Their call, like the on..." (Portland Audubon via Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "'Painting was a fever born of desperation, the only way for me to go on living in this world.' Kusama Yayoi was born to a wealthy family in the castle town of Matsumoto. Her traumatic family life and experiences in World War II deeply ..." (Portland Art Museum via Instagram)
• I'm pretty big on anything that helps reduce waste and keep more things from going into the landfill. So I was pretty happy to hear about the Portland company that makes shoes from dissolvable textiles. Couple Megan and Jesse Milliken had an urge to lessen their footprint. They thought, why not start with footwear! That's why they developed Woolybubs, eco-friendly baby shoes you can dissolve in boiling water. (Portland Monthly)
• We're going to be voting for a new governor this November. Debates are a good way to be informed about the direction that a new governor will take us. Here is the debate among the three leading candidates for Oregon governor that took place in Bend. (The Oregonian)

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There's your Wednesday, Portland. You've got the low down, so go out and make the day your own. I mentioned The Low Bar Chorale, so let me send you off on one of their videos. — Dominic Anaya

About me: Just a dude in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Portland Daily? Contact me at portland@patch.com