PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Police Bureau's decision to transfer detectives out of the property crimes unit and no longer have investigators exclusively working on those types of cases has some business owners in the city concerned.
Oregon Public Broadcasting first reported on the change in July. Since then, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) confirmed to KGW that three detectives in the unit were reassigned to both the sex crimes unit and the special victims unit.
PPB spokesperson Mike Benner said this doesn’t mean the bureau will stop investigating property crimes like retail theft. Instead, these cases will be assigned to a detective working at each of the three precincts.
Despite this reassurance, the news is disappointing for small business owners on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, who said they're frequently dealing with theft.
"Friday night, we had a woman run away with two pairs of expensive shoes," said Helen Goncalves, the owner of Metro Boutique and vice president of the Hawthorne Business Association. "Then on Saturday morning, we had another gentleman steal a leather jacket and a few more accessories."
A block or so down the street, Teresa Flowers is facing similar issues. She owns Alien Mermaid Cove, a three-year-old shop that sells upcycled clothing and accessories.
"Sometimes you get more stuff stolen than you actually have people buying, so, those days feel really grim," Flowers said.
As Hawthorne struggles, auto theft is actually down across the city of Portland, and so are burglaries. According to data from the Portland Police Bureau's crime dashboard, the bureau recorded 6,143 burglaries between July 2022 and July 2023. The following year, that number dropped to 4,810.
"We've had some tremendous strides and a lot of wins when it comes to the fight against organized retail crime," said Jeremy Girard, the president of the Oregon Retail Crime Association.
Girard credits the state legislature and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office with the improvement over the past year or so. But he's concerned that without detectives focused solely on property crime, the bureau will have a harder time investigating and arresting some of the more sophisticated retail criminals.
"They mentioned that they will continue investigating organized retail crime and I do think the theft missions, we certainly appreciate that," Girard said. "[But that's] just catching your everyday shoplifter. You're not always catching the big groups, the organized retail crime groups."
Girard said he's reached out to Portland police to understand why this is happening, and wants the bureau to reconsider their decision.
Benner said PPB Chief Bob Day took this recommendation from "leadership within the Investigations Branch," and wants to ensure all crimes get the attention they deserve.
"Change is always difficult, but it is imperative that we make these important decisions when it comes to using our resources to address the most egregious crimes," Chief Day said in a statement. "I appreciate the investigators who will be bringing their experience and expertise to these critical specialty units."
Goncalves and Flowers said they often lean on other small business owners to watch their back. They both have multiple cameras in their stores and signs that warn of video monitoring. But they want more than that. They hope for some renewed effort to end the fight against this kind of theft.
"I hear that you guys are understaffed," Goncalves said, directing her comments at PPB. "But at some point we need support. The city, small businesses need your help."
"You're passionate, you love what you do, you want to share it with the community, and then you get hit, and you get hit, and you get hit, and you’re like, 'how long can this ship keep sailing?'" Flowers said.
Property crimes units in other law-enforcement agencies
Here's what other law-enforcement agencies told KGW about their property crime units:
Vancouver Police Department: VPD has a property crimes unit with one sergeant, two detectives and one elder justice detective assigned to the unit.
Seattle Police Department: SPD has a general investigations unit, which is responsible for all property crimes, burglary, theft, trespass, fraud/forgery, etc. It is staffed by one sergeant and eight detectives.
Gresham Police Department: GPD does not have a property crimes unit. Detectives are versed in property crimes but due to staffing levels, cases are prioritized by the department. An officer is assigned to help with theft from local businesses.
Washington County Sheriff's Office: WCSO has five detectives assigned to its property crime unit.
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office: MCSO does not have a property crimes unit or any detectives dedicated to property crimes.