Boosters' roost

When law enforcement in Portland went to pot in 2020 and 2021 under Police Chief Chuck Love L and D.A. Mikey Schmidt, one of the most notable features of the decline was the complete lack of attention paid to property crime. Burglary, shoplifting, brazen organized retail theft with no pretense of concealing it, and even armed robbery became the order of the day. Police just stopped responding to calls about such crimes. The chief repeated over and over, "We don't have enough personnel to do anything about it." Mikey said something like, "It's only money, what about George Floyd?" or maybe it was "We need to stop criminalizing poverty," I forget.

I know a small business owner who went to his shop in response to a burglar alarm one night during Covid and found a man literally walking out the door with his cash box. A police officer happened by, and the shop owner flagged him down and pointed out the criminal and the box. The cop told him he couldn't even try to arrest the guy, because the officer was alone in his patrol car and there was no backup available.

The smart guys got the message and shut down their stores. Nike walked off MLK Boulevard. REI fled the Pearl District. Target packed it in both downtown and in the Hollywood District. They all were tired of being robbed blind.

It's seemingly a new day in the Rose City. Chief Chuck is now ex-Chief Chuck, and Mikey has been voted out, effective 124 days from now. But I was quite dismayed to read this week that the anemic approach by the police to property crimes is about to get even wimpier. As a new kid at the O tells it:

Over the last month, Portland police leaders have moved to disband a unit that investigated reports of burglaries, identity theft, embezzlement and organized retail crime.... The team of three detectives were transferred to the special victims and sex crimes units. A sergeant assigned to property crimes will move to patrol.

Chief Bob Day shared the news with the bureau July 3, telling members he needs detectives to investigate cases “involving some of the most vulnerable persons in our community.”...

Bureau leaders stress that property crime investigations will continue. The detectives who were reassigned are completing their current cases and their positions will be replaced by officers who will serve as acting detectives in the precincts, said police spokesperson Mike Benner.

Benner also said that one of the former detectives will serve as a mentor for the officers. The officers will take on this new role while also responding to other calls, Benner said.

“Ultimately this is the Chief’s decision, but it’s important to know that this plan was brought to him by leadership within the Investigations Branch, as ultimately they know best how they effectively manage their resources,” he said.

The talk of "managing resources" sounds like they're pleading poverty, but they really shouldn't try that with a straight face. The current police bureau budget is just over $295 million, the largest in history and 3 percent higher than last year. It works out to about $475 per city resident per year, and the population within the city limits is not growing.

Downgrading or downsizing the police response to property crimes isn't going to help Portland's poor reputation among business owners, especially those operating bricks-and-mortar retail. The PoPo may need more help with special victims and sex crime cases, but for $295 million a year they ought to be able to figure out how to walk and chew gum at the same time.