Portland police clamped down on shoplifters with a sting operation at Cascade Station Shopping Center, netting 14 arrests, including a woman with a rap sheet as long as your arm. In a crackdown that spanned Friday, officers from North Precinct teamed with the K9 and Air Support Units to target retail crime hotspots, bagging suspects with a total of 16 warrants among them.
Among those rounded up was Pamala R. McIntosh, who goes by Pamala Fleming-Parton on some days. The 41-year-old had six warrants out for her arrest. McIntosh, a known figure to the fuzz, has a carousel of nine pending theft cases on her record. According to a report from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), she was nabbed at the Old Navy, presumably not for her fashion picks.
These retail theft missions, joint ops between the PPB and store owners, are getting hands-on with bad actors accused of swiping everything from clothes to cash. Following sweeps like this one, the cops are keeping the heat on, working with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office to make sure these past perps get more than a slap on the wrist. The mission focused on tackling organized retail theft, which often sees stolen goods flipped for quick cash or returned for store credit—neither of which goes well with law-abiding citizens.
Portland's shoplifters aren't just pocketing lipsticks and loafers. The cops report these crooks could be caught up in much nastier stuff, including gunplay, narcotics, and even swiping whips. Cracking down on retail crime, they say, keeps businesses breathing and communities thriving. The PPB hopes that throwing books at frequent flyers when it comes to theft will stanch the bleeding for all retailers—from the big box to the mom-and-pops, as per their statement.
The latest scorecard from this retail theft mission reads like a delinquent's to-do list: 14 arrests, 1 felony charge, 9 misdemeanors, 8 warrants for grave stuff, the same number for less-serious crimes, a couple of traffic stops, two towed vehicles, one chase, and 2 tickets doled out. Visual learners can head over to YouTube for a front-row seat to the action, with the police offering a video ride-along for those wanting a closer look at how retail theft missions unfold.
