Street racing has historically increased in the Rose City as temperatures rise. To stop racers in their tracks, local law enforcement is implementing targeted missions as part of their crackdown on reckless driving.
During a proactive mission overnight on Sunday, Portland police conducted over 20 traffic stops in collaboration with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
Several cars were seized in North Portland, according to video that was obtained. Vehicles were towed from top speeds to the back of a tow truck, turning sections of North Wall Street and North Columbia Boulevard into an unofficial finish line.
Jonathan Olson, a resident, reported that at around one in the morning, his wife informed him of the scene outside their window.
“She said, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s like, tons of cops outside. And I just saw one of them pull out a really large rifle,’” he stated. “It basically happened right here. There was maybe one car down the road, maybe a couple on Wall Street.”
Olson claimed that although his family did not witness the race, they did observe the debris that was later left on the sidewalk.
“Obviously, it happens late at night. We’ve heard about it. We’ve seen the articles. We see the marks on the ground quite a bit,” he stated. “We honestly don’t hear it much, but we know it’s a real source of frustration.”
“There wasn’t a single intersection in the entire city that was taken over and blocked by this activity,” stated Portland Police Sergeant Kevin Allen, despite multiple attempts to hold takeover events overnight. The fact that no one was killed on the street last night is very significant.
Allen claimed that in the past, street takeover events have turned into a hotbed for drug sales, shootings, fatal collisions, and the launching of illegal fireworks into crowds.
“This kind of activity is not okay. It’s not safe,” Allen continued. “It’s not okay for the City of Portland, and the Portland Police Bureau is going to address it.”
During the overnight mission, police reported that they made four arrests and performed over 20 traffic stops. Along with four vehicles, two of which are scheduled to be turned over for criminal forfeiture under Senate Bill 615, those stops resulted in the seizure of two firearms and over 3.6 grams of illegal drugs.
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“I think that’s probably one of the most powerful tools that we have to really make a difference in this activity,” Sgt. Allen stated. “These street racers, they love their cars. And getting a ticket is not a deterrence to some of them, getting arrested sometimes is not a deterrence. But if they lose their car and they don’t get it back, you know that’s a powerful tool.”
SB 615, passed in 2023, increased the penalties for street racing to a maximum of one year in jail and/or a fine exceeding six thousand dollars.
Between June 2023, when the law went into effect, and January 31 of this year, there were 14 vehicle forfeiture cases, according to Patrick Dooris, director of communications for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Three were returned to a financial institution, two were seized by law enforcement, five were dismissed for procedural reasons, and four are awaiting forfeiture hearings.
Allen stated that the bureau wants to make a strong statement with the new law and proactive street takeover operations.
“If you’re engaging in this activity, you might get away with it sometimes, but you’re not going to get away with it all the time. Because we’re out there, and we do put together these special missions,” Allen stated. “We’re not going to tell you ahead of time. We just might show up with a whole bunch of cops and start putting people in handcuffs and towing cars, and we’re going to continue to do that as these things pop up.”
