Rather than defunding police, a major challenge ahead of the next Bend City Council might be defining police, according to an analysis of a recent survey.
âRespondent feedback appears to show a lack of clarity and agreement on the role and responsibilities of Bend Police Department,ââ reads a city staff report on the Law Enforcement Community Input Project, which was intended to study the publicâs attitudes toward police.
By way of example, the cityâs independent consultant Wendy Boyer, author of the survey, said many Bend residents think the departmentâs top priority should be enforcing traffic laws, specifically drivers speeding on the Bend Parkway and running red lights. Others want increased officer visibility in neighborhoods and parks to reduce drug use. But the top two concerns for the community were the issues of mental health and homelessness, which as Boyer notes are not traditionally seen as the purview of law enforcement.