Downtown community safety meeting held in Medford

MEDFORD, Ore. – In response to safety concerns around downtown Medford, the Downtown Medford Association had a meeting Wednesday night to talk about what’s being done.

During the meeting, the Medford Police Department shared its concerns, progress, and results regarding safety in the downtown area.

Police reported a decrease in harassment and trespassing, but an increase in burglaries, drug use, and overdoses.

Medford Association Board Member E.J. McManus said, “I think the amount of police officers for any community in the State of Oregon is very low and so being able to have trained officers in place is basically a backlog.”

Now, they’ll focus on expanding services downtown, having more presence in the area, and increasing connections to resources.