Crime going up in Portland: What's the latest in the trend?

Crime going up in Portland: What's the latest in the trend?Photo: iStock
Hoodline
Published on May 16, 2019

The number of crime incidents in Portland saw an overall increase last week, for the fourth week in a row, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents rose to 2,808 for the week of May 6, up from 2,646 the week before.

The specific offenses that increased the most were theft and vandalism. Theft rose to 543 incidents last week, from 519 the week before. Vandalism went from 59 to 76.

While somewhat smaller categories, there was also a notable percentage increase in shootings, from 21 incidents per week to 27, and in assault, from 271 to 279 incidents.

Among the few types of offenses that saw a downturn last week, reports of burglary went from 95 to 70, and robbery fell from 21 to 14.

There were 1,799 reports of "other" crimes, an increase of 139 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations.

Considering the concentration of crime across the city, Downtown, Hazelwood and Lents had the most reported incidents last week. Downtown and Hazelwood were at the top of the list the previous week as well.

Crime in Lents went up the most. Crime reports in Hazelwood also rose for a second week, and incidents in Madison South are up considerably as well.

Regarding when crime most often occurs, Friday, Thursday and Monday had the most crime incidents last week. The largest increase from the previous week occurred on Friday, Thursday and Monday, while incidents on Tuesday went down. Comparing times of day, late afternoon, late morning and late night saw the most crime last week.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.

This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.