Violent crime in our community

The rise in shootings in Salem and the longer-term upward trend of violent crime are issues that have impacted the entire city. For Salem police officers and staff, there is no higher priority than the protection of life and physical safety within our community. We hear the community voices and share in the concern about increased community violence. 

Understanding the problem

Although factors for the rise in any crime category can vary and may involve complex issues, there were no obvious reasons why rates are increasing in Salem. To evaluate the issue further, a gun violence problem analysis was conducted in August 2023 to assess the circumstances. The goal of the independent analysis was to examine incident details to identify and explore characteristics, risk factors, and more.

Forward motion

The Salem Police Department is taking proactive steps to intervene and address these challenges head on in collaboration with our criminal justice system partners. 

A broader, collective discussion on how we, as a community, can and should respond also occurred on November 20, 2023 at a special work session on community violence with members of the Salem City Council and Marion County commissioners . The result was a countywide commitment from government officials and myriad partners to work together with a focus on what matters—the community's safety.

Community conversations in progress

Over the course of 2024, the City of Salem and the Salem Police Department will work to foster strong partnerships with community leaders, organizations, and residents to ensure a holistic understanding of the dynamics at work in our city and gain support in creating and implementing an intervention strategy.

The first community conversation occurred on Wednesday, March 6 at 6 p.m. at the East Salem Community Center. Mayor Chris Hoy led the initiative's kick-off meeting. Police Chief Trevor Womack provided the 200 residents in attendance with an overview of shooting data and the criminal justice response to this public safety issue. Ben McBride of Empower Initiative, facilitated the meeting and guided the community discussion and a question-and-answer session. Watch the event on CCMedia's online channel.

The second conversation

We heard from more than 80 attendees at the second community conversation on April 19 at Chemeketa Community College. The meeting was presented in Spanish with English translation. The participants gathered to hear the findings from the gun violence problem analysis, as well as discuss potential solutions, ask questions, and share concerns.

What you can do in the meantime: Stay informed

Three more discussions are planned for this year in June and August with a final report to be presented in the fall. To participate in future meetings, send an email to salempolicedept@cityofsalem.net to join the electronic notification list—or check back here for more info!

Messages from the Chief of Police

Chief Womack has published several community messages related to this initiative. The most recent was in March 2024 Community Message. Un mensaje para la comunidad de parte del jefe de policía fue publicado en español en marzo de 2024.

In November 2023 he shared an Open Letter to the Community which included an invitation to participate in the joint local government work session. En noviembre de 2023, el jefe compartió un mensaje para la comunidad en español con una invitación para la participación en una reunión especial entre la municipalidad y el gobierno del condado.

Also, please use the links below to read the reports and documents related to this initiative. Además, usa las ligas abajo para leer en español los reportes y documentos relacionados a esta iniciativa.