Co-chairs opened a public hearing April 23 on House Bill 5,032, the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training budget bill, and dozens of public-safety leaders testified in support of full funding for the agency.

The testimony emphasized that DPSST trains and certifies law enforcement officers, corrections staff, dispatchers and firefighters statewide and that sustained funding is necessary to meet recruitment and regional training needs.

Chief Chris Skinner, chief of police for the city of Eugene, told the committee he was testifying on behalf of the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police and said Eugene is facing “an 11 and a half million dollar shortfall.” He said the core mission for his agency is to “answer the call when people need us” and that “this core mission … does not get protected unless I have certified officers and dispatchers that are able … to be at the academy.”

Chief Bob Day, chief of police for the City of Portland, said recruitment and hiring remain the Portland Police Bureau’s top priority. “We were able to get about 70 plus through the door last year,” Day said, adding he expected to hire nine officers the next morning and that the bureau has a goal of hiring 100 in 2025. Day praised DPSST director Castle and the agency’s staff for training, satellite instructors and leadership development that support his bureau.

Matt English, Hood River County sheriff, testified on behalf of the Oregon State Sheriffs Association and urged support for HB 5,032 and the bill’s policy option packages. English highlighted Policy Option Package 102, which he said would add an investigator to speed disciplinary case resolution and bolster regional training delivery.

A representative identified as the Marion County sheriff (name was unclear in the record) emphasized evidence- and science-based training and praised DPSST’s progress in learning retention and transference. That witness specifically supported Policy Option Package 101, a proposed learning management system (LMS) intended to expand consistent training—particularly for small, rural agencies.

Fire service leaders also testified. Chief Ben Stangi, fire chief of Polk County Fire District No. 1, said DPSST’s statewide certifications and regional training props are essential to mutual aid and volunteer recruitment. He listed policy packages 101 (LMS), 102 (regional training and investigator capacity tied to accountability) and 090 (campus infrastructure) as priorities for the fire service.

Chris Gibson, executive director of the Oregon‑Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, described DPSST’s financial and procurement support for HIDTA grants. Gibson said the HIDTA program “received 4,229,000” for the Oregon‑Idaho area and also stated that DPSST “has accepted the responsibility of receiving a little bit over $33,000,000 in those funds each year.” Those two figures in his testimony are inconsistent in the hearing record.

Richard Chitwood, training officer and firefighter for Glide Rural Fire Protection District, described Glide as a largely volunteer department and said rural agencies “rely on much of DPSST’s resources including their training facilities, regional props, and knowledgeable experienced instructors.” He also called for more joint training for integrated responses to active threats.

Several witnesses noted DPSST’s role beyond police training—supporting corrections, probation, dispatch and private security—and repeatedly praised the agency’s leadership for restoring stakeholder trust.

Co-chairs closed the public hearing on HB 5,032 and said written testimony would be accepted for 48 hours after the hearing opened.

Ending: The committee heard broad, consistent support from law enforcement and fire service leaders for sustaining and expanding DPSST funding and capacities through HB 5,032 and its policy option packages. No formal action or vote on the bill occurred during the April 23 hearing; the committee left the record open for 48 hours for additional written testimony.