A family visiting Portland from out of state was at a downtown waterfront park when a naked man attempted to kidnap their 7-year-old daughter. The family and bystanders intervened, punching and pulling the suspect away until one witness used pepper spray to stop him.

Police Response Delayed

The Portland Police Bureau received reports of the incident, but their response was delayed by 30 to 40 minutes due to a staffing shortage. The bureau had 41 patrol officers on duty that night, which is a roughly 24% reduction from planned staffing. Deputy Chief Brian Hughes stated that major incidents can quickly consume available patrol resources, forcing officers to triage calls.

The suspect, 31-year-old Daniel Vasey, was arrested and faces charges including attempted kidnapping, custodial interference, assault, and harassment. The family’s quick action and the intervention of bystanders likely prevented a more serious outcome.

Staffing Shortages and Response Times

The Portland Police Bureau has released new staffing and response-time data, which shows that the city typically has about 59 patrol officers on the streets at any given time. The bureau estimates that officers were dispatched to approximately 221,000 calls for service in 2025, which is about 605 calls per day. High-priority calls average 19.5 minutes from dispatch to arrival, while medium-priority calls average 46.7 minutes, and low-priority calls average nearly 95 minutes.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.