City finance records show nearly $2.4 million earmarked to address gun violence in Portland through the Safer Summer PDX initiative is either approved or nearly approved for funding.
Records outline a total of 18 grants—much of that covering grants for organizations providing mentoring and direct intervention of would-be shooters and people in their circles.
More specifically, the grants include:
- $745,000 for six grants under Objective 1 of Safer Summer PDX: persuade those most likely to shoot this summer not to engage in gun violence
- $241,000 for six grants under Objective 2 of Safer Summer PDX: engage youth in areas most impacted by gun violence in pro-social activities
- $1.2 million for six grants under Objective 3 of Safer Summer PDX: invest in neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence
Despite the investments, a group of people living in the Portland neighborhood with the most shootings this year, Hazelwood, said they aren't feeling the fruits of that work.
“Several of my neighbors have had passive conversations about gun safety and the fact that maybe [they] should move, and my neighborhood in particular has 40, 50-year residents. That's kind of frightening to me. I've only lived there 26 years,” resident Bob Earnest said.
A third of the Safer Summer PDX funding, $800,000, went to the Portland Bureau of Transportation under objective 3. An agency spokesperson said it will use that money to pay for temporary traffic diversion tools and permanent street improvements and projects like a greenspace in Southeast Portland near Mt. Scott Park.
The bureau spokesperson said the agency is looking at data now to see where any of their projects will impact violence. For example, would closing an intersection or adding traffic diversion help? PBOT said the program contributed to a reduction in violence around Mt. Scott Park.
PBOT’s stated plan is to do two to three projects every summer for three years, starting next year. The agency said it's looking at the intersection of 82nd and Milton, along with the Parkrose, Hazelwood, and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhoods.
Whatever reduction in gun violence they ultimately bring could take at least that long, leading some to wonder why it’s included in the summer violence plan.
“I will always get asked that question: this group seems to be doing a little bit of that; this group, why not? You know, why don't we fund this group first? I try to make sure that the money goes out evenly across the board,” community safety transition director Mike Myers said. “We are going to go back and ask for more money again to continue this. At the town hall at KATU, that was brought up very clearly; ‘we appreciate the money; we're doing great work right now. Let's keep it going.’”
Myers credited the broad investments for a glimmer of hope in Portland’s violence crisis. Shootings between May and August were down significantly this year compared to the same period last year: 410 in 2022 versus 496 in 2021.
However, Portland’s Hazelwood neighborhood saw a slight increase in that same period. These neighbors hope to see progress where they live.
“My kids don't want to go out. My wife doesn't want to go out. I don't want to go out,” Dave Gattman said. “There's a fear just of being going about my daily business, going to a little convenience store. There's a fear of violence taking place.”