Photo: Ford, Brad
Portland Police East Precinct, assisted by other PPB Units and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDA), made numerous arrests and recovered stolen vehicles this month, marking at least six months of steadily decreasing car theft rates in Portland. The Stolen Vehicle Operation (SVO) also led to arrests made in a ring of thieves who were stealing Tesla vehicles from service centers.
On the afternoon and evening of Saturday, September 30, 2023, East Precinct engaged in another of its regular, ongoing stolen vehicle operations, utilizing data-driven policing strategies. Officers again yielded a low ratio of better than one stolen vehicle located out of every two traffic stops. During the mission, which focused on the east Portland metropolitan area, officers located 13 stolen vehicles out of 21 stops made. There were 11 arrests (which included 11 warrants served), 2 stolen guns recovered, and 14 vehicles towed. Two drivers attempted to elude police.
One stop at Southeast 122 Avenue and Southeast Holgate Boulevard resulted in three arrests, recovery of a stolen vehicle, two stolen firearms, and a significant amount of suspected methamphetamine. The occupants of the vehicle were also convicted felons.
Crowdsourced Facebook group “PDX Stolen Cars” assisted the operation and provided good information for an occupied stolen vehicle and multiple unoccupied stolen vehicles. PPB’s Air Support Unit, K9 Unit, and the MCDA were all involved in the operation.
The highlight of the night was the arrest of 34-year-old Daniel McNett, of Vancouver, Washington, in a stolen Tesla, and the later capture of 32-year-old Todd Mouton, of Vancouver, Washington, in a stolen Dodge Challenger. Mouton eluded SVO officers in the stolen Challenger into Vancouver, Washington. He was followed by PPB Air Support Unit, which saw him jump from the vehicle and run into a residence. Mouton was later taken into custody by Vancouver Police Department tactical operations.
These captures led to the recovery of five more stolen Tesla vehicles. Both are considered suspects in a multi-jurisdiction Tesla theft ring spanning Vancouver, Washington, Washington County, Oregon, and Multnomah County, Oregon. The Tesla vehicles were taken from Tesla service centers and vehicle GPS antennas were disabled to prevent tracking. It is believed 10 Tesla vehicles were stolen in total. Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Cody Linderholm was on-scene during the operation and is working with Tesla to help prosecute the cases. Full charges are pending. PPB is grateful to Vancouver Police Department and our other law enforcement partners for their assistance.
Over the last six months, our program has consistently delivered outstanding results in reducing vehicle theft rates. In March 2022, there were 1040 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)
And, since January of 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. We know that car thefts are extremely impactful for victims, especially those who rely on their vehicles for their livelihoods. Reducing theft rates mean fewer victims. And we 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.
As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and empowering our community with public safety information, PPB puts stolen vehicle statistics on our website Open Data Portal. Community members can access information about theft rates, types of vehicles being stolen most often, and neighborhood-specific statistics: https://www.portland.gov/police/open-data/stolen-vehicle-statistics
Source: Portland Police