On April 1, 1908, the bureau became the first in the United States to hire a female police officer, Lola Baldwin, who became the Superintendent of its newly established Women's Protective Division[5] In 2011, the Department of Justice began an investigation into civil rights violations at the PPB.

The PPB were supplemented with federal agents deployed by President Donald Trump who have reportedly arrested rioters and antifa off the streets from unmarked police vehicles for detainment without reading Miranda Rights, providing cause, or identifying themselves.

[10] The divisions are generally based on neighborhood association boundaries, but also take into account the number of police calls generated in each district.

All Portland Police Bureau officers are authorized to carry a Remington 870 shotgun (fitted with a tactical flashlight in the foregrip).

After completion of bureau courses, officers are also authorized to carry Colt AR-15 rifles and FN 40mm single shot less-lethal launchers.

Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) officers are armed with a variety of additional weapons, including H&K MP5A3 submachine guns, and M4A1 rifles with EOTech holographic sights.

[17] In 2014, PPB began exploring the idea of issuing body-worn cameras as part of a US Department of Justice lawsuit about unconstitutional use of force, United States v. City of Portland.

After years of negotiations on body-camera policies, On June 17, 2024, PPB officers in the Central Precinct were outfitted with cameras as part of a pilot-program.

On July 1, 2020, the city and the PPA renewed its annual contract, with an agreement to permit a newly formed Portland Street Response team, promoted by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, for emergency situations that don't require firearms, and an agreement on the delay of cost-of-living adjustment due to city budget issues related to COVID-19.

The agreement also contains a new discipline guide and allows for the expansion of the Portland Street Response team, which dispatches a mental health clinician and fire paramedic to crisis calls.