Portland crime on the decline; assault drops, robbery rises

Portland crime on the decline; assault drops, robbery risesPhoto: iStock
Hoodline
Published on October 04, 2019

The number of crime reports in Portland last month remained about even with the month before, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects reports from police agencies and validated sources.

Incidents fell by 0.1%, from 11,938 in August to 11,928 in September. Despite last month's decrease, crime reports remain at about the same level as a year ago. Crime tends to follow similar patterns over time, with seasonal ups and downs, making a year-over-year comparison most relevant.

Assault and vandalism led the most recent decrease in crime incidents. Assault fell from 1,154 reported incidents in August to 1,060 in September, but has risen by 36 incidents since September of last year. Vandalism incidents went from 376 to 327 for the month, or about a 13% decrease. Vandalism reports are also slightly down from a year ago.

There was also a decrease last month in shootings, from 186 incidents per month to 148, and in burglary, from 357 to 348. Both shootings and burglary have decreased since the same month last year.

Among the few types of offenses that saw an uptick last month, robbery reports went from 78 to 92. Robbery incidents have seen an overall upward trend since the same time last year.

Looking at crime patterns in different areas of the city, Hazelwood, Piedmont and Downtown saw the largest decline from August to September. Roseway, Cathedral Park and North Tabor also saw considerable percentage decreases in crime offenses for the month, although they continue to have lower overall crime levels. Over the past year, crime has gone up the most in Overlook, and declined the most in Pearl District.

Mondays, Sundays and Tuesdays had the most reported crimes last month. The largest decrease from the previous month occurred on Fridays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while incidents on Sundays, Wednesdays and Mondays went up. Comparing times of day, late afternoon, evening and late morning saw the most crime last month on average each day.

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.