PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- It's time for some stats about stolen vehicles in Portland. These stats may surprise you.
Since March 2022, there's been a 63% drop in the number of reported stolen vehicles in Portland, police said in a statement Saturday evening. In that same time frame, there have been 53 coordinated law enforcement missions that recovered 474 stolen cars, arrested 564 people, recovered 84 illegal guns. And the data-driven techniques used by law enforcement are responsible in large part for the improved ratio of stops/recoveries.
The 53rd mission, on Friday night, resulted in 10 vehicles recovered out of 16 stops, 5 people in custody, 7 warrants serviced, 4 vehicles that tried to flee and then 2 pursuits, plus one gun seized.
Two of those arrested may also face federal charges, officials said.
This mission in East Portland involved 79 people from PPB, Gresham PD, Port of Portland PD, the sheriff's offices from Multnomah and Clackamas counties, Parole and Probation, the US Department of Justice and the Multnomah County DA's Office, plus the group PDX Stolen Cars.
There was also air support from a plane and a drone, officials said.
"There are a lot of factors that go into crime trends, but 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," police said in a statement. "Stolen vehicles are often used by suspects in other crimes including robberies and shootings. Interdicting those occupied stolen cars can prevent other crimes."
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow these stories.
