Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler will ask Governor-elect Tina Kotek to station Oregon state troopers in Portland for traffic enforcement, according to a draft letter obtained by KATU News Wednesday and first reported on by our news partners at Willamette Week.

The request follows a previous KATU investigation that found Portland was one of at least four cities in America’s 50 largest cities without a dedicated traffic unit for proactive traffic enforcement. Police Chief Chuck Lovell disbanded the team in February 2021 due to staffing.

“Research has shown that violent crime is reduced by a visible law enforcement presence, even when only focused on low level traffic enforcement. Both the District Attorney and Mayor’s office request that the Oregon State Police commit to traffic enforcement activities within the city jurisdiction for the next year,” the draft letter reads.