PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland police officers made five arrests, towed two vehicles and issued 25 traffic citations during an illegal street-racing mission in North Portland this past weekend, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) reported Monday.
PPB said about 25 to 30 vehicles were able to escape officers during the mission, which started Saturday night and ended Sunday morning. A PPB spokesperson told KGW the mission focused on multiple areas, including the areas of North Columbia Boulevard and Peninsular Avenue and on North Marine Drive.
Portland police said in a news release that "if resources allow," the bureau will conduct more missions this summer to combat street racing and street takeovers. PPB said it won't announce the missions ahead of time.
"Participants are warned that they are risking arrest, towed vehicles, and traffic tickets if they take part in illegal street racing or takeovers," PPB said in the release.
Street takeovers and street racing have become an increasingly frequent and visible problem in Portland in recent years, drawing concerns about the disruptive and in some cases deadly activity. Despite efforts to crack down, some incidents have been difficult for police to break up.
After an incident outside the Lloyd Center in March, a PPB spokesman said street takeover events can involve dozens of vehicles and hundreds of people, requiring a large and coordinated police response to safely end them, and PPB doesn't always have enough officers available. In April, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek directed Oregon State Police to assist the Portland Police Bureau.
Lawmakers in Salem introduced a bill earlier this year aimed at cracking down on street racing by increasing the maximum jail time and fines for people found guilty of organizing the events. The bill passed the Senate in February and is now before the Oregon House. The House committee is scheduled to discuss the bill on Thursday, May 4.
