2023’s last stolen vehicle operation yielded further success in not only locating and recovering stolen cars, but minimizing the number of stops necessary to meet that goal.
On Thursday, December 28, 2023, East Precinct officers with K9 Units, the Air Support Unit, Gresham Police Department officers, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office (MCDA) ran the final Stolen Vehicle Operation (SVO) of 2023.
The SVO produced:
20 – Stops
9 – Stolen Vehicles Recovered
9 – Custodies
1 – Gun
8 – Arrest Warrants Serviced
2 – Vehicles Elude
This SVO resulted in a stolen vehicle apprehended to stop/encounter ratio of 1 : 2. That means one stolen vehicle was apprehended for every two stops, in alignment with the overall objective of ‘fewer stops - better outcomes.’
East Precinct Stolen Vehicle Operation officers collaborated with Gresham Police Department apprehending active stolen vehicles and those illegally operating them. East Precinct’s Stolen Vehicle Operation leverages data analytics collected on stolen vehicles to help identify active stolen vehicles in the community. The location of the Stolen Vehicle Operation was the northeast Portland metro area. Members of the Facebook group PDX Stolen Cars assisted the operation providing community-sourced information helping SVO officers recover one unoccupied and two occupied stolen vehicles. MCDA staff worked directly with officers to ensure that the criminal cases assembled were complete and ready for prosecution.
A stolen Toyota Corolla was located at Southeast 166th Avenue and Southeast Bush Street. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, however the driver eluded the police. The Air Support Unit assisted in locating the fleeing vehicle. The driver was ultimately taken into custody and a gun thrown from the vehicle was recovered. Matching ammunition was also located inside the vehicle. The driver had an active warrant for his arrest and was booked into jail with multiple charges (case number 23-333999).
The mission was underway when a homicide suspect was located in the area of Southeast 148th Avenue and Southeast Division Street, allowing extra resources to respond to the dangerous call. As East Precinct and SVO officers attempted to arrest the suspect, he fired numerous shots at officers. The extra resources were crucial in quickly containing the suspect and minimizing the danger to the community. That allowed time for the Special Emergency Reaction Team and Crisis Negotiation Team to respond and negotiate the suspect’s peaceful surrender. More information about that incident is available here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=523238
The Vancouver Police Department in Washington state also ran a Stolen Vehicle Operation in parallel. Their members stayed in constant communication with PPB, providing notifications of vehicles that eluded into Oregon and cross sharing information.
The missions continue to show positive results not only in recovering stolen vehicles and arresting offenders, but they have played a role in reducing the rate of stolen vehicles. There has been a 25% reduction in stolen vehicles reported to PPB this year compared to last year. From January through November of 2023, there were 7,454 stolen vehicles reported to PPB. Last year, for that same time period, there were 10,004. That is 2,550 fewer stolen vehicles.
Comparing just the month-over-month, the reduction is even more significant. In November 2022, there were 966 stolen vehicles reported, this year it was 538. That’s 428 fewer stolen vehicles, a 44% reduction.
While these are encouraging trends, there is still work to be done. PPB plans to continue with its efforts to address the stolen vehicle problem and the crimes that often accompany them. Stolen vehicles are often used by suspects in other crimes including shootings, illegal gun possession, robberies, and narcotics trafficking. We believe interdicting those occupied stolen cars can prevent other crimes.
Enforcement efforts driven by data analysis, efficient use of limited resources, and interagency partnerships have been key factors in the reduction in car thefts in Portland. It’s something that we’re gratified to see because we know reducing theft rates means fewer victims. Car thefts are extremely impactful for victims, especially those who rely on their vehicles for their livelihoods. We certainly have a long way to go and we’re not declaring victory over this problem. But the trend is going the right direction, and our intent is to continue these efforts going forward.
The Portland Police Bureau offers a comprehensive, interactive data dashboard about stolen vehicles on our website’s open data portal: https://www.portland.gov/police/open-data/stolen-vehicle-statistics The dashboard includes citywide and neighborhood crime statistics and trends, as well as makes/models most often stolen in the city.
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