PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The future of the Portland Street Response team in your neighborhood is uncertain as the team faces serious budget cuts.

Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves confirmed to KATU that there are talks about moving Portland Street Response from PF&R to the Community Safety Division.

The program sends unarmed crisis response teams instead of police officers to assist people in mental health crises. It's currently managed by PF&R.

Right now, PSR comes at a cost of $11.5 million.

Nearly $6 million comes from the one-time American Rescue Plan Act, which will soon expire.

Now, Portland Fire & Rescue is also looking to cut more than $3 million from its budget.

At a town hall Wednesday night dozens of people spoke out against defunding the Portland Street Response Team, also known as PSR.

"You can take that money and give it to Portland Street Response. The money exists, it's in the wrong pockets,” one person told a panel from the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing.

Some in the community are urging city leaders to separate PSR from the Portland Fire Bureau, including one woman who says she was a health worker with PSR.

“I don't know if PSR should be housed within Portland Fire. The culture didn't really mesh well," the woman told the committee.

KATU’s Victor Park pressed Stephanie Howard, director of Public Services for Mayor Ted Wheeler's office, about how to keep the program alive.

"Every conversation I have about Portland Street Response with my colleagues at City Hall is absolutely about troubleshooting, finding solutions, and making those programs successful,” Howard said.

"Does Mayor Wheeler support separating Portland Street Response from the fire department?" Park asked Howard.

"We're looking into all the options," Howard responded.

KATU also questioned Leila Leighton, PSR Program Manager with the Fire Bureau, if she supported the split.

"I mean it's pretty clear that the overwhelming number folks who provided testimony were supportive of PSR being a co-equal branch and standing alone and separate," Leighton said.

Park: "You can't tell me if you support that or not?"

Leighton: "That's above my paygrade."

After hearing dozens of people speak out against the cuts, the PCCEP said they would recommend actions for Wheeler's office.

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The committee said the community will have another chance to voice their concern, as there are several more meetings planned for April.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Portland Police Bureau (PPB) says one person is dead after a shooting in the East Columbia Neighborhood on Friday.

Officers say around 12:32 p.m. they responded to reports of a shooting near North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and North Gertz Road.

When police arrived, they found a man dead at the scene of the crime.

PPB says their homicide unit team responded to the scene to investigate and during the investigation, the streets in that area will be blocked.

Police have not made an arrest or found a suspect but urge people who know about this incident to contact law enforcement.

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People are urged to contact Detective Stephen Gandy at stephen.gandy@police.portlandoregon.gov (503) 823-0449 or Detective Jeffery Pontius at jeffery.pontius@police.portlandoregon.gov (503) 823-0433 and reference case number 24-89948.