The Portland Police Bureau is dissolving its Property Crimes Unit while promising to still investigate property crimes.
KOIN 6 New first reported the decision on Aug. 26. According to the report, Police Chief Bob Day made the decision for understaffing reasons.
The three detectives who currently make up the unit will be reassigned to the Special Victims Unit and the Sex Crimes Unit. A sergeant previously with PCU will be added to patrol, wherever needed.
“This comes as City of Portland data shows a drop in reported robberies and aggravated assaults in the first half of the year compared to last year. However, the number of rape cases has remained roughly the same. The Portland Police Bureau also reported that “person crimes,” like those linked to domestic violence, have only gone down by about 1%,” KOIN 6 News reported.
The story broke about three weeks after the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission notified PPB that it will be receiving $474,244 through the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program. The funds will allow PPB to continue working directly with retail partners to identify, apprehend and prosecute offenders. After a retail theft mission, officers conduct a follow-up and work with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office to achieve convictions.
“This gives us the ability to hire officers on overtime to engage in this proactive work on the street,” PPB’s North Precinct Commander Rob Simon said of the Aug. 1 announcement. “This will further our goals of addressing crime and the fear of crime in Portland.”
The story also broke three days after a retail theft mission in the Jantzen Beach area resulted in the recovery of approximately $1,000 worth of stolen goods, the recovery of one stolen vehicle, the recovery of an unlawfully possessed firearm, the recovery of seven ounces of methamphetamine, and the arrest of citation of 18 people.
The Portland Police Bureau announced the results of the Aug. 23 mission the next day. The announcement said North Precinct officers and the precinct’s Neighborhood Response Team collaborated on the missions with the Organized Retail Crime Association of Oregon, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, and multiple business partners in the area.
PPB released the following statement about the mission:
“Retail theft is often more than just shoplifting items for personal use. Many suspects are involved in organized theft rings. That entails stealing items that can easily be sold for cash on the secondary market or returned to stores for a “refund.” Returning or attempting to return stolen property, no matter the value, is a class-C felony.
“In many cases, these individuals are involved in criminal activity that extends far beyond retail theft, including illegally possessed guns, drug possession and distribution, vehicle theft, and more. Additionally, disrupting theft preserves the viability of retail businesses that serve the Portland community. Therefore, these missions go a long way in improving livability across the area. Mission commanders analyze theft and other crime data to focus their missions on the neighborhoods most impacted by these crimes, which are often large retail shopping complexes.
“PPB recognizes that smaller local businesses are also impacted by retail theft and it is our belief and goal that arresting and holding prolific thieves accountable will help reduce these crimes for the entire business community.”
KOIN 6 News is a news partner of the Portland Tribune. Their full story can be found at koin.com .
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