A Portland doctor, Mary Costantino, recently experienced a horrifying incident when she was knocked unconscious by a homeless man while walking in the city.
What made matters worse was that she had to wait for more than 20 minutes without any police response.
Costantino, a radiologist, expressed her frustration with the situation, stating, "I do not hold the police accountable for this at all I hold our city accountable for defunding the police. We don't have enough police force to protect our citizens, and we did this to ourselves." Her remarks highlight the consequences of defunding the police and the impact it has on public safety.
The attack occurred on a Friday night around 10:30 pm. Costantino was walking with a friend in Southwest Portland when suddenly, she found herself on the ground, blood pouring out of her mouth. She believed she was about to be killed and immediately dialed 911 for help.
In the midst of the chaos, Costantino feared for her life and tried to verbalize a report of the attack, hoping there would be some record of what happened to her. Fortunately, the situation eventually calmed down, and she realized she was not dying. According to Costantino, she had been struck in the face by an aluminum water bottle thrown by the assailant. There were no warning signs or indications of danger, leaving her defenseless. She credits her friend for intervening and scaring off the attacker.
A spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau confirmed the incident, stating that TriMet surveillance video captured the unprovoked and brutal attack. However, officers were dispatched approximately 20 minutes after Costantino was struck, arriving at the scene eight minutes later. By that time, Costantino had already given up and gone home.
Costantino's experience is not an isolated incident. Portland residents have been facing increasingly long police response times for years. In July, the average wait time for a high-priority call was 23.7 minutes, the longest in over a decade, according to PPB data.
Lt. Nathan Sheppard of the Portland Police Bureau acknowledged the staffing challenges they face, saying, "Our goal is always to help as much as we can, as quickly as we can. But with our staffing being at historic lows, this has become a challenge for us." At the time of Costantino's attack, officers were already occupied with 26 other calls throughout the city, leaving no available officers to respond immediately.
The Portland Police Bureau currently has approximately 80 sworn vacancies, a decrease from over 100 in September. Lt. Sheppard expressed hope for improvement, stating, "We're continuing to hire, so there's definitely hope, and things WILL get better."
The incident involving Costantino has sparked outrage and concern among Portland residents. Kristin Olson, an outspoken critic of Oregon politics, expressed her distress over the incident, saying, "I am heartbroken that my dear friend Mary was so badly hurt." Olson emphasized that Portlanders have the right to move about the city without fear of being assaulted.
Costantino's experience has also influenced her voting habits. She revealed that witnessing the deterioration of public safety in Portland has led her to change her voting preferences. She did not vote for Jo Ann Hardesty, a city commissioner who supported defunding the police in 2020. Instead, she cast her vote for Republican Christine Drazan in the governor's election.
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