Photo: Ford, Brad
Recently, the Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct ran multiple joint Stolen Vehicle Operations with Gresham Police Department, Port of Portland Police, Oregon State Police, Multnomah County Parole and Probation, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. These operations focused on multiple locations throughout Portland. Crowdsourced Facebook group "PDX Stolen Cars" again assisted the operations.
Utilizing data-driven policing strategies, officers again yielded a low ratio of one stolen vehicle located out of every two traffic stops.
One stop resulted in contacting a burglary suspect vehicle. The vehicle was occupied and an illegally possessed stolen firearm was seized.
One stop resulted in recovering a large stolen U-Hall truck with three occupants in the front of the vehicle. Officers opened the padlocked rear of the truck and inside they located two more people. Three people were taken into custody with five active warrants serviced.
In all:
- 38 - Stops/Encounters
- 20 - Stolen Vehicles
- 24 - Custodies
- 33 - Warrants
- 14 - Vehicles Eluded (11 captured)
- 3 - Suspects Eluded of Foot (3 apprehended)
- 9 - Vehicle Tows
- 1 - Gun (confirmed stolen)
Over the last six months, this program has consistently delivered outstanding results in reducing vehicle theft rates.
In March 2022, there were 1,040 vehicles reported stolen to PPB. In March 2023, it was 747, a 28.2% decrease year over year. That trend has continued throughout the spring and summer:
- April: 24.4% decrease compared to the previous year (892 to 674)
- May: 23.7% decrease compared to the previous year (849 to 648)
- June: 26.7% decrease compared to the previous year (829 to 607)
- July: 29.7% decrease compared to the previous year (862 to 606)
- August: 35.3% decrease compared to the previous year (939 to 608)
Since January 2023, stolen vehicle reports have trended steadily downward more than 38% through August. While conclusions about crime rates can only be drawn after a long-term trend, the trajectory is encouraging.
PPB understands that car thefts are extremely impactful for victims, especially those who rely on their vehicles for their livelihoods. Reducing theft rates means fewer victims. Police believe since stolen vehicles are often used by suspects in other crimes including robberies and shootings, interdicting those driving stolen cars can prevent other crimes.
For more on East Precinct’s innovative use of data, to make fewer stops, resulting in better outcomes, visit: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=462764
Source: Portland Police