22 arrested during weekend-long police mission to shut down street takeovers
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland police say that over the weekend, more than 140 vehicles were stopped, at least 22 people were arrested and numerous cars were towed, in an effort to combat street takeovers and street racing in the Rose City.
Portland police teamed up with partner agencies for this mission, which they announced at a press conference last Thursday.
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The mission began Friday night and police made 50 traffic stops and 7 arrests throughout the night.
During the first night of the mission, two people were killed and another was seriously injured in Gresham after officials said a speeding vehicle eluded a traffic stop and ran into a utility pole.
As they scattered, Assistant Chief Craig Dobson remarked on the “sheer disrespect or disregard for life” as cars sped away.
“People want to feel safe in the city. We got a beautiful city, and we want it to be safe,” Dobson said. “And lawless acts like this – events like this are just not not acceptable.”
Neighbors living near the streets that were illegally used as raceways shared their frustration this weekend.
“It’s dangerous,” Garrett Hill said. “People can get killed and get hurt like they did last night. I’d like it to stop”
One witness, Synaca Hall, said she remembers “all the crowds, all the screaming, all the foot patrol. I didn’t get to bed until like four in the morning.”
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Saturday night police busted multiple street takeovers and made at least 47 more traffic stops, authorities said.
By the end of Saturday, at least 11 people had been arrested and 10 cars had been towed, some of which were seized through asset forfeiture due to the owner’s participation in the street takeovers.
However, It is not yet clear how many of the involved vehicles will be subject to forfeiture.
“I won’t be able to say we work with the DA’s office and they have a set of criteria that they go through, and so they’ll be reviewing every one of those cases to see which one of those actually we can apply that law to,” Dobson said.
Sunday’s crackdown started before 4 p.m. in Southeast Portland which then moved to other parts of the city and out to Troutdale as police responded, authorities said. Throughout that night, police said that at least another 41 traffic stops were made, four more people were arrested and another seven vehicles were towed.
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There are no official totals yet as police said additional reports are still being completed, but well over 130 vehicles were stopped and dozens were towed.
Dobson said he believes the bureaus’ early messaging, collaboration with partners, and tips from the public led to a smaller turnout than seen in previous years.
“Over the weekend, we saw changes in their behavior and how they acted,” Dobson said. “So initially, they would show up with no license plates on and gather slowly, that changed where they recognized that lawlessness was going to be held accountable.”
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