Oregon State Police Patrol Troopers will be conducting a high visibility saturation patrol focusing on Interstate 5, Interstate 205 and Interstate 84.

This saturation will be focusing on what OSP refers to as the “Fatal Five”: Speeding, Occupant Safety, Lane Safety, Impaired Driving, and Distracted Driving.

Governor Brown proposed a $20 million cut to the Oregon State Police budget in 2019-21, however, most of that was restored in the legislative adopted budget.

They report top budget drivers are loss of revenue due to COVID-19 causing relocation of staff and holding trooper positions vacant, and infrastructure needs.

The 2021-23 budget allocated 30.4% ($205,654,278) employing 410 troopers.

A far cry from 1980 when 624 troopers cruised our highways. SB 211 passed in 2021, ORS 181A.015 establishes 15 troopers per 100 thousand citizens with incremental increases beginning in this biennium, with the ratio achieved by 2030, which would employ 726 troopers.

Starting on February 18, 2022, and running through Monday, February 21, 2022, the Oregon State Police Patrol Troopers from Salem, Albany, Springfield, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Central Point, Portland, Pendleton, La Grande, and Ontario area commands are conducting the high visibility saturation patrol focusing on the “Fatal Five.” These 5 driving behaviors are the leading causes of serious injury and fatal crashes.

This is what OSP pushed out via our social media platforms:

• Some drivers have just lost their minds



• We have all seen a huge uptick in the number of people driving crazy on Oregon’s interstates. When we say “crazy” we mean drivers committing what OSP calls the “Fatal Five” Speeding, Occupant Safety, Lane Safety, Impaired Driving, and Distracted Driving. These poor driving practices are the leading cause of serious injury and fatal crashes



• Oregon State Police Patrol Troopers from Salem, Albany, Springfield, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Central Point, Portland, Pendleton, La Grande, and Ontario area commands are joining together to conduct a high visibility saturation patrol that will last through the extended holiday weekend. This saturation patrol will be focusing on Interstate 5, Interstate 84, and Interstate 205



• Don’t be surprised if you also see Sheriff’s Deputies and Police Officers working these areas alongside OSP



• Be safe on the roads, it is not just your life on the line

However, the media might like some statistics around what impact this might have on these bad driving behaviors in Oregon.

• Currently, OSP has 410 Sergeants & Troopers in Patrol across Oregon. This number is authorized positions and doesn’t include vacancies, troopers on leave, troopers at training, troopers at court, etc



• Oregon has about 8,000 miles of state-owned highways, which are primarily patrolled by OSP



• Oregon has 4.1 million registered vehicles with nearly 3.1 million licensed drivers



• Those numbers do not include the estimated over 29 million visitors Oregon gets a year



• If you do the math, with just the number of licensed drivers (3.1 million) that is 1 trooper for every 7,561 licensed drivers in Oregon

Oregon Patrol Troopers are 100% committed to making Oregon’s highways safer, but these low patrol staffing numbers, begs the question, what impact could OSP Patrol have with more Troopers on the road?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-02-19 18:43:13

Last Update: 2022-02-19 18:59:20