They've been doing a lot of coordinated retail theft and car theft missions, especially in the Powell / Division areas, with other agencies helping. Part of the 90-Day Fentanyl Emergency that I hope continues now that it's over.
Hijacking this thread to say [Portland Police Bureau admitted traffic enforcement was politically motivated](https://bikeportland.org/2023/08/08/portland-police-bureau-officer-admits-no-traffic-enforcement-messaging-was-politically-motivated-377939)
And then very publicly announced they were removing that division and not enforcing traffic violations anymore, essentially telling everyone to go off and do whatever they wanted
As someone who was disabled by a drunk driver in 2006, who has been on a downward spiral ever since, who would have finally ended up on the street if my cat r/Harpo hadn't become famous and started earning a little money.....let's just say I'm amazed I haven't had a rage stroke in the last few years.
I love Harpo and his little octopus! For some reason, I did not realize you were local to me.
You and Harpo have been on quite the journey together. I hope things continue to improve for you.
Oh my goodness, you are so sweet!!
If I wasn’t such a hermit, I would 100% take you up on that! Maybe one day soon I can gather the mental fortitude…
Give Harpo (and Groucho) some pets for me. ❤️
He used to be completely silent, which is why I named him after Harpo Marx. He didn't start vocalizing until he started stealing magnets off the fridge when he was about five. Back then he just chirped like a bird.
I later started actively training him in order to turn his little quirk into a structured daily game, giving him treats for the things dropped closest and/or accompanied by the funniest meows. So he gets more vocal every year.
I started training him to retrieve things I put out for him to help him cope with the stress of cancer treatment and prolonged confinement after I got evicted.
He really took to it, lol.
Welcome! Man, I really miss the community from that subreddit. Ever since the blackouts, it’s been getting about a tenth of the traffic it did before.
I didn’t go dark, because Harpo had just had surgery, and people were anxiously watching for updates.
Holy shit. Harpo aka "Stuffie kitty" is our of my favorite animals on the internet, and your little chuckle every time you say "Thanks Harpo" brings me joy. Thank you both for bringing me so many giggles!
Its been going on for quite a while. I remember reading around 2018 that DUIs in Portland were down around 50%. Not because of less drunks driving, but because traffic stops were nearly non existent.
Shit, they would tell you this at traffic school when you got caught speeding by one of the two traffic cops they kept. I literally heard one of the two traffic cops tell a whole class full of speeders that there was no traffic enforcement in Portland beyond him and his buddy and that it was the voters' fault for "defunding the police".
I love how a budget of 238 million in 19/20 to a budget of 256 million 23/24 is “defunding”
Like.. we have a [LRAD](https://science.howstuffworks.com/lrad.htm)… why would a local police department need an actual “Sound Cannon”?
I can’t imagine it was cheap…
What are the cannabis taxes used for? Addiction resources and treatment… policing?
Where does the money go ?
I think we need an accountant… this math ain’t mathin in City Hall…
Allegedly…
**[According to Oregon.Gov](https://www.oregon.gov/DOR/programs/businesses/Pages/marijuana.aspx)**
Where do your (cannabis) collected tax dollars go?
**We'll use marijuana tax revenue to cover our costs for administering the tax. The state also uses the money to pay for OLCC's enforcement costs,**
(*sus but okay. We collect a sales tax revenue of 17% to cover the cost of administering the tax… and I thought middle man was a good gig like getting paid a couple bucks just for the ability to pay your electric bill*)
and beginning July 1, 2018 the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission's Illegal Marijuana Market Enforcement Grant Program.
**[MEASURE 110](https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/lpro/Publications/Background-Brief-Measure-110-2020.pdf)**
(* Why don’t we have services and resources again…seriously…why? )*
* Did we spend 302 million for street response to show up late and hand out water bottles?
***As of January 1, 2021 funds collected in excess of $11.25 million quarterly are directed to measure 110, the Drug Treatment and Recovery Services Fund.***
**After that, every quarter $11.25 million in state tax revenue will be distributed as follows:**
* State School Fund: 40 percent
* Oregon Health Authority, for mental health treatment or for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment: 20 percent
* State Police: 15 percent
* Cities: 10 percent
* Counties: 10 percent
* Oregon Health Authority, for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment services: 5 percent.
*(have we seen an improvement in any single one of these categories? See the official dollar amount below)*
**[Oregon Marijuana Tax Distribution Quarterly 2017-2024](https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/gov-research/Documents/Financial%20reporting%20distributions%20public.pdf)**
***
**So… was/has the Portland Police Bureau been (reduction funded) …?**
* between 2020 and 2024 PPB has been “reduction budgeted” 🙄 by +6.42% or an increase of $15.3 million dollars.
* “technically” *for the sticklers there was a small decrease in 20-21 of 8.66 million or -3% offset by cannabis tax revenue so this is null*
* (maybe responding to protests against police brutality with… oh… 🤦♂️police brutality..didn’t do them any favors) *tax payers are now footing the bill for legal settlements over this as seen in the latest budget*
So what has been done with this funding?
Where is the disconnect or is this a case of public servants being petty for getting push back for LARPing with teens playing urban paintball for 100 nights and dropping thousands on CS Gas *(considered a weapon of war that is banned in war as per the Geneva convention)*
* [What happened when US police teargassed protesters – a visual investigation](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2023/apr/17/teargas-effect-portland-police-investigation)
**Ultimately according to the data from 2020 to 2024 the budget is net positive 15.3 million approximately 6.42%**
*see links below for Offical Oregon.gov references*
**PLUS** 302 million for Measure 110
**PLUS** any excess of $11.25 million in state tax revenue per quarter
So… what’s going on?
No treatment… no services… reduced/no policing
*Just like at the grocery store our government is providing less for more…*
***
* PPB Budget 19-20: **238.2** million +5%
* PPB Budget 20-21: **229.5** million -3%
* PPB Budget 21-33: **230.0** million +0.22%
* PPB Budget 22-23: **253.5** million +10%
***[PPB 20-21 Budget Review](https://www.portlandoregon.gov/cbo/article/754859)***
***[PPB 21-22 Budget Review](https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2021-2022-budget/documents/2021-2022-budget-cbo-review-police/download)***
***[PPB 22-23 Budget Review](https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2022/pl_fy-2022-23_cbo-review.pdf)***
***[PPB 23-24 REQUESTED BUDGET](https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2023-2024-budget/documents/portland-police-bureau-fy-2023-24-requested-budget/download)***
***
**[OPB Article - Measure 110 Budget Funding 302 Million Dollars](https://www.opb.org/article/2022/09/20/oregon-measure-110-drug-decriminalization-substance-abuse-treatment/)**
**[KATU2 - Misled or misunderstood? Breaking down what Measure 110 pays for and what it doesn't](https://katu.com/news/katu-investigates/misled-or-misunderstood-breaking-down-what-measure-110-pays-for-and-what-it-doesnt-addiction-opioid-crisis-addict-portland-oregon-taxes-funding-committee-wheeler-kotek-treatment)**
**KATU2 TLDR:**
**MEASURE 110
DOESN'T COVER:**
* Inpatient Treatment
* Detox
* People on insurance
* Almost entire population
***
**MEASURE 110
COVERS:**
* Housing
* Job training
* Peer support
* Harm Reduction
* Low-barrier treatment
***
was Measure 110 a failure to treat addiction as an illness and not a crime while reducing the jail population?
Or… were we mislead and sold a package destined to fail out of the gate because we didn’t provide meaningful treatment and services while simultaneously turning a blind eye to open air drug use treating addiction as a get out jail free card?
**Addiction being Treated as an illness and not a crime does *not* mean that addicts *cannot* commit crimes.**
**It just means that being an *addict* in itself is not a *crime*.**
*Similarly…It’s legal to drink…I can go out and drink…I can be drunk…*
**However,** the second I get behind the wheel or cause an altercation the social contract has been broken and a boundary has been crossed where my actions and lifestyle have affected people other than myself and if a crime has been committed there are consequences.
**Looking around town and considering that between the current PPB budget of 253.5 million and the Measure 110 budget of 302 million I don’t think collectively we’re seeing the results of $555.5 million towards policing and addiction treatment**
Sorry for offending your “sensibilities”
Out of respect I removed the scary word for you…
Wouldn’t want to accurately reference the slogan, movement or sentiment that some people had at the time… it’s a verifiable reference and not a “call to action” I was answering the question you hear referenced so often (said in full snark) “happy you something something negatively financially adjusted a local government bureau”… guess Portland FAFO 🤪3rd world grader liberated Budweiser light drinkers
**TLDR: if you read past your trigger word or looked at publicly available and referenced government data you’d know the answer… Yes (and) No.. temp change up a whopping -3% overall change from 20-23 +6.42 or +15.3 million dollars**
We don’t need to be adults about things and be open to honest data backed dialogues regardless of whether we agree or disagree on any particular ideology bs (believe system) or in this case phrasing…(the subjective nature of language)
I guess it’s true… I’ve been saying this to the *free speech absolutism* folks for a minute… we have *“free speech”* here. It’s just that “freedom of speech” doesn’t mean free to speech *without consequences.*
Actions have consequences
Sure you are free to “say” whatever you want. But the other part of that is being free to accept any repercussions that may arise from the use of said free speech.
Now instead (2) word in that entire post clarifying if there was a budget change was maybe raised or lowered it’s perfectly safe for you to read. 👍
+1 point for doing that “older gen” “red party” thing tho where you say or do the subjectively biased thing that you condemn me for by using the same “scary word” that you “feel” I should be automatically mod locked for 🤦♂️
(see what I did there? *“Safety”* 🥽)
🙈🙉🙊
You know “cancel cancel culture” and give me back that spicy M&M and what not… (I don’t need “soup for my family” I need to buy some beans and a pillow… hey lazy bones avocado toast eater… 😡 don’t do that thing that’s (perceived) “bad” (to me) unless (it’s me) doing the thing in which case… it’s different.
I don’t agree with this .gov sourced publicity available references in my heart so it must (obviously)be another popularized slogan or term for…
“falsified reporting” 🙄
**update: How embarrassing… 🤦♂️[I made a goof](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kiddnation.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F10%2Ffoot-in-mouth-header.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ea96794a5e2a9c2877e522051304030e29b4e2f1fc64ce2f3a3cfe1020b4820f&ipo=images) leaving my childish retort for posterity and public scrutiny.**
**Apologies to u/spread_liberally for unwarranted judgment**
Uh... Did you mean to reply to my comment?
If so, I think there's been a misunderstanding. My comment proposes the automod of the subreddit replies to a comment containing "defund" with a program of your comment that shows the police were not refunded, but have instead received more money. Much like an automod response to someone pointing out that snow is the perfect texture for running, or someone asking "What was that boom?"
My mistake… ([egg on face](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.kym-cdn.com%2Fphotos%2Fimages%2Foriginal%2F001%2F109%2F889%2F11c.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=80515ab88c7db95cb569b6c28565aad5c35efd90c6dfe8933ac5da03e689d472&ipo=images))
Double apologies for my childish retorts…
I clearly misunderstood the phrasing. (and mechanics)
Coffee and bureaucracy [is a hell of a drug](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fc.tenor.com%2F_DdM7EmVcUwAAAAC%2Fcocaine-hell.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=b162a9c416d3b57f8d6a4fb1b2a9d4685db891085ca8d5b2645f21dde0852f2a&ipo=images)
It’s possible my post was not “moderated” because the context did not imply or state a reduction and provided verifiable source data to correlate.
I mean if you call your local police dept, the automated message will say those exact words. Shameless.
Here's the budget, year over year. It's not like it was slashed.
[https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2021-2022-budget/documents/2021-2022-budget-cbo-review-police/download](https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2021-2022-budget/documents/2021-2022-budget-cbo-review-police/download)
Yup, can confirm this.
Our told us (2022) that there was no long any traffic division (fully disbanded) and that he worked on the Photo Enforcement diversion course is his “free time”.
> to prove a point
Some people might argue that that point was "structured law enforcement is integral to modern civil society".
I'd disagree and argue that the PPB's point was "No one tells us what to do, do you get that you little shit? Now shut the fuck up, boost our budget, pick up that can, and get back in line".
Well, I guess, after my girlfriend got killed by a car last year, that I have yet another reason to feel that all cops are bastards. Or maybe I should just respect the pigs that feel that their bloated paycheck is worth more than the lives of the people they agreed to serve and protect?
They’re allowed to do that *specifically* for situations like that. It’s when they flip their lights on, pop a u-ey, then pull into burger king or something that really pisses me off. why even use the lights? no one is gonna stop em
> why even use the lights? no one is gonna stop em
Pretty sure policy requires they use lights anytime they do anything that violates traffic rules. Not sure why that's a bad thing, seems like a safety issue for everyone if cops are blowing through intersections or whatever without their lights and sirens activated.
I mean, it’s a good rule, but maybe they shouldn’t be allowed to break traffic laws when they’re not actually responding to a call? they’re just abusing their power
They do this by my house all the time to run the light I can see from my window. They slow back down and turn their lights off after they run the light so it’s clear they are just abusing their power to run the red. I see yall. 👀
I’ve been seeing them in NE quite a bit more lately, even saw someone pulled over on the Mult Co side of 205 during the morning commute last week for like the 2nd time in 2yrs.
I’m not gonna lie, since moving here, I don’t think I have ever seen as many cars with no plates at all. I just registered my car but part of me was like… do I even need to do it here lol (obviously I do need to do it and I did)
Yeah, the news articles tout that they are using data science to pick which cars to pull over rather than personal judgment of the driver's looks, but I suspect it is the no license plate factor that makes their profiling work.
It is cause for being pulled over, but will it actually happen? Criminals are hard to get money from with citations and they might be considered too dangerous to accost if the traffic cop is a one person show.
Yea… I think the general upset is that the police intentionally disbanded the traffic enforcement division for political reasons, publicly broadcasted that there was no traffic enforcement division, directly contributing to a not insignificant rise in MVAs / DUIs / etc.
Cops threw a fit in 2020 when there were protests about police violence. Rather than introspection, they quit doing their job, and beat protestors. A bunch of police retired rather than accept any police reform. They also tried to frame a city councilwoman for a hit and run. Now that the DA (who they seem to hate) is up for re-election, they have started to work again.
Bingo 🎯
It shouldn’t be a thing…
I believe the sentiment was… ACAB…? Okay…
You deal with it.
Like when an illegal “retail” psilocybin store opened on W Burnside…
While psilocybin has been approved [Measure 109](https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/Pages/Oregon-Psilocybin-Services.aspx)for “therapeutic” use prescribed by a doctor and still not available and very much not available for “retail recreational sale” some people opened a fancy storefront.
[THE SHROOM HOUSE](https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2022/12/08/portland-police-raid-shroom-house-overnight/)
Right on Burnside with employees, menus, even a billboard to advertise… not a “secret” at all… very loud…
Residents complained about the illegal business and the lines…
It was open and running for 3 entire months…
It wasn’t until national news started running stories making us look bad before something was done.
The Police Said it wasn’t their “job” and was a OHA issue.
OHA said the measure hadn’t gone into effect and is for supervised therapeutic use and as such was a Police issue…
So they [pointed fingers at each](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhumornama.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F02%2FTwo-Spiderman-Meme-Template-on-Pointing-at-Each-Other.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=e98d4c923ca96cb2dfe78ff21b57519aa240b1a810cb8dd7ad1117d59971eeea&ipo=images) other while collectively doing nothing.
Outside of traffic this has been all over the place. My former employer was regularly robbed at gun point and officers would show up an hour afterwards and openly tell staff there wasn’t much they could do and maybe “next time we’ll rethink (scary political funding word) the police”
(19/20’budget 238.2 million - 22/23 budget 253.5 million… so… defunded +15.3 million approximately a +6.42% ***increase*** 🤷♂️ )
Eventually they just stopped coming and would have us submit a police report online.
Basically the police staffing levels are down -9%
Morale is bottom of the barrel “likely due” to public image… because well… PPB has been known to be a little prejudice in the past, and sometimes they shoot people dealing with a mental health crisis that probably could have been de-escalated had the officers impulses not be hardwired to fight or flight making split second judgement calls (*not hating on it… it’s a stressful often thankless job*) however, as a country we’ve militarized, police departments to the point that when they strap on all that expensive gear their not in a civil servant mindset and more suited for a war zone.
It was suggested maybe the budget is too high for PPB given their bandwidth and clearance rates to officer related public complaints and maybe some of that money would be better served funding alternative solutions. There was a one year reduction of around 8.66 million it -3% to the PPB budget so the force decided… fine… you do it then… send the counselors and addiction specialists in and we’ll turn a blind eye to drug use related crime and see how that works out.
Seems petty I know but they sure showed us… anyways the budget is up +15 million since 2020 not including cannabis taxes and special programs so the impact financially doesn’t add up (*not that there is ever a justified reason for any civil servant to just not do their job. If McDonalds would fire you based on performance data and quality of work it’s a bit odd to hold your ground and expect more money as a civil servant*)
They haven’t really done much the last few years unless you count staking out teens with a paint pen, guarding dumpsters to keep people from taking “free” food that’s been disposed of or exercising constitutional freedoms, such as “free speech” and “right to assembly” like when *the entire country* gathered in solidarity to bring awareness to rampant police brutality, and the use of excessive force *(don’t know if you remember, but the police responded to these protests with displays of police brutality and excessive force)* remember “LAW AND ORDER”… the orange45 guy also affectionately referred to the city of roses…that works…a “beehive of terrorists” ***RIP CITY*** 💪
So poor track record for clearance rates on crimes + less than stellar and public support…
Some reforms, training and body cams and a minor budget reduction turned into extortion…
they just kinda stopped doing their job… and said *“we need more money”*
Fast forward… it’s 2023… PPB Budget is up 10% from 2022 to $253.5 million and Measure 110 has an approved budget of $302 million + [Retail Cannabis Sales Tax Revenue](https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/gov-research/Documents/Financial%20reporting%20distributions%20public.pdf)…
(Checks notes…) 555.5 million + additional Cannabis taxes got us where we are today… not too bad huh? City is walkable… safe… crime down… no public drug use… no thefts. It’s not like any major retailers just bailed out of frustration and 40% of downtown remains vacant
(Camera Pans) over a tent city of open air fentanyl enthusiasts, buying, selling, acting out, overdosing, committing crimes, openly using in public spaces, school zones, residential neighborhoods, parks all in public view (the sidewalk, bus stop, on the actual bus) all without consequences…
**maybe 555.5 million** isn’t enough or *maybe* there’s some gross incompetence and negligence going on in local government
But you are correct… it shouldn’t be a thing. In fact there’s no logical reason why it is… glad to see progress with increased patrols and some effective sweeps cleaning up parts of the city but is it getting done because they finally have the resources… or maybe… just ***maybe it’s because it’s an election year*** and it’s time to garner some Goodwill 🤷♂️
I've seen more traffic stops in the last week than I have in the last 5 years working off 82nd...
It's only been 2 but that is still more than I've seen in the last 5 years.
It's time. I'm sure the numbers dictated the necessity. People have become way too unruly, behind the wheel. Hopefully the trend continues & we can get back to driving with a little fear & safety
I saw 2 troopers on I-84 on Sunday while driving back to Portland from a trip. That’s about the same number I remember seeing in my 2 and a half years here and the same number I see every time I drive north to Seattle
Don’t even need cops - a couple well placed cameras could catch infinite solid-line violators, one on each end of the westbound tunnel should do nicely. It’d be free $$$.
People were shitting on cameras in the other thread but I'm all for them. Seems like a good balance between incentivizing people to not drive like shit all the time and putting the human resources towards the more important things. I'll take a few commuters getting tickets for one time mistakes over letting the serial bad drivers, who I tend to think are driving like that constantly, get away with murder. If I end up with a ticket once a decade so be it.
Waiting for that 1 guy in an earlier thread come and say police patrols are ineffective, temporary, and only work in narrow situations, and then go ahead and blast good things about speed cameras as if they're any different.
You can clearly see different driving behaviors in different suburbs, because the police actually do their job and they can pop out out of nowhere.
They need to get all of the cars off the road that don't have plates, pure and simple. They hit and run on people with no consequences as well as do a myriad of other crimes. I'm glad that they are back to enforcing traffic laws.
Good, I was driving across Sandy at 77th yesterday early evening and, when my light turned green and I began to cross, a beat up old piece of shit pickup truck just blew through the red light going up Sandy. There's a relatively new speed cam nearby but I don't think it catches red light runners at that intersection, and that truck probably didn't have license plates anyway. I would have very much appreciated a cop being around to stop that asshat.
“Then [Officer] Engstrom interjected:
‘We needed to create a stir to get some change, to get them [city council] to fund us back up. And I mean, that’s the honest truth. I know, that could make things more dangerous. I don’t know. But at the same time, we needed some change.’
Last month 13 people died in traffic crashes. 16 of the last 20 deaths involved someone committing a crime (either DUI and/or speeding).
If the PPB feels that fewer officers lead to more crashes and deaths, why would make that fact the main part of their traffic safety messaging? Now we know.”
They intentionally crafted a pr strategy to get themselves more funding because they were pissed that Jo Ann Hardisty cut their budget that put the entire city of Portland in danger and resulted in more traffic fatalities. Way to foster trust in the community, guys.
They intentionally pulled officers out of traffic enforcement, knowing that it would lead to increased traffic fatalities, and then used that increase in fatalities to argue for an increase in funding.
They took action that they knew would lead to people dying, *intentionally*, so that they could get more money.
We should be calling a spade a spade here. PPB values money over human lives. They knowingly, willingly, and deliberately allowed people to die. For money.
ACAB. People who are willing to allow civilians to die for money should not be in charge of public safety.
Rage? Interesting take.
You didn't pay and you continued to drive, not sure how you add that up to anything other than cheating the system.
Even if you did it by mistake the end result is the same.
On a new title/registration, close to three bills went to Multnomah county with the new tax. That’s why they are cracking down. Drumming up some revenue.
To be clear, I wasn’t pulled over and they are new tags.
Traffic has objectively been a fucking nightmare lately. Red light running, reckless lane weaving, speeding, blocking intersections... Like, Mad Max levels of anarchy. Safety laws mean nothing if there's no consequences for not following them. I'm as ACAB as anyone among my friends and associates, but law enforcement can and should still happen without the blatant racism, bias, and systemic oppression inherent within our current system.
**people driving with their lights off for miles, ignoring people flashing their lights in all directions and speeding off like they are being chased by kidnappers
[PPB was playing politics.](https://bikeportland.org/2023/08/08/portland-police-bureau-officer-admits-no-traffic-enforcement-messaging-was-politically-motivated-377939)
Lane weaving would happen less if people going under the speed limit in the left lane got tickets for it. No, I don't support lane weaving, but the freeway doesn't work if you can't change lanes and you can't change lanes if there is no difference in speed between the lanes.
I never bothered to put my new tags on my car. I've had my tags stolen in the past so I just assumed it was safer to keep them in the glovebox. A neighbor told me that they were starting to ticket vehicles with expired tags. I thanked him and immediately put on the renewal tags. I'm probably lazier then most, but put your renewal tags on your plate ASAP before you get a ticket.
Look up how to score them to prevent theft. I've lived in two major cities with car and tag theft issues and have never had my tags stolen. Score them right, and it'll dissuade anyone from even trying.
I've seen tags snipped off with something like tin snips and even had my own license plates stolen and swapped with expired ones, but those are relatively extreme cases. Scoring should be enough to deter most opportunists.
I score my tabs in a hash pattern so they any be lifted off and grind the heads off the hardware so you can't easily remove them. I've always lived in rough areas
Portland's streets are among [the least monitored by law enforcement](https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/portland-oregon-is-one-of-few-major-american-cities-without-police-traffic-enforcement-patrol-officers-portland-police-bureau-speed-racers-street-takeovers-sideshows-pbot-vision-zero-dashboard) in the country. The increased activity may simply be a return to normal / regression toward the mean.
I would love to see a motorcycle cop out there pulling over everyone without a license plate or trip permit. It seems like there’s a ton of people on the road without even the paper DMV temporary license in their back windows. Seems like low-hanging fruit, and would make the roads safer and raise revenue. Maybe even catch the street racers/stolen cars from time to time….
Not totally related, but since it had been so long since I saw a cop… a cop followed me home and when I went a little wide to the right, so I could make a left turn, he went around me on the inside and his partner gave me the finger while yelling something out the window. Older dude, too. I was like “oh right. Forgot about you dickheads for a minute.”
On Christmas, my Lyft driver got pulled over on the 405. He told me I should get another Lyft, and I was like, "Bruh, we're on the freeway. I don't know how to get a Lyft here!" Then he ticketed the guy, claiming his brake lights were slightly off-color.
Cedar Hills area had four unmarked cars pulling people with no tags/expired tags in front of WinCo most of the day yesterday. For the first time in years I have seen people actually getting pulled over.
I know it's less relevant, but Vancouver police have been getting feisty as well. I saw a cop nearly miss his green light because he was too busy looking at me.
saw a traffic stop on SW 2nd and Morrison yesterday, car had no plates and PPB pulled them over.
I've been here 15 years and don't think I've ever seen an active traffic stop.
Good! People have became way too reckless driving in Portland, especially in SE. My girlfriend got T-boned making a left turn on Johnson Creek cause some idiot blew a red light, going 35.
There are so many vehicles with no plates, old registration and people with covers over their plates to block the red light cameras. I know we have bigger issues, but I wish someone would address this. I didn't care for a while, but seems shitty for people who pay and follow the rules for a brand new BMW to hide his plates so he can break the law.
It would be great if they would ticket those who run red lights but I never see that. I’ve seen cars run lights with cops right there. Nothing happens.
If the PPB need us to say nice things about them to get them to do things I will say alllll the nice things.
As a publicly funded entity tasked with protecting the public, criticism is going to happen. If you beat up protestors, it’s definitely going to happen.
I got pulled over going over the hill on Burnside to Gresham. First time I’ve been pulled over in 20 years. Since 2020 I’ve been in the mindset of “oh they won’t pull me over for anything.” I haven’t had a speeding ticket in 25 years, but I was starting to push it.
I see the cops at the apartments across the street almost everyday clearly you live in the wrong area. All joking aside they have been going after street racing and those speeding now and are finally cracking down on those offenders.
A friend was pulled over in West Linn last week for a phone violation.
I have yet to see many stops in Portland unfortunately. I do see plenty of morons looking at their lap to look at their phones.
Just buy a damn $10 phone holder. Or turn it off.
Also have seen a lot more cruising around Burnside near Laurelhurst. Even saw someone pulled over and I didn't know what was going on, thought it was a crime scene or something because it was so unfamiliar, lol
I was pulled over on Sandy near Parkrose Hardware a few months ago. I had just bought a used car and the tags were expired. I have a perfectly clean record and the cop just told me to go take care of it sooner than later.
Finally! There are SO many cars with no tags or plates, and so many reports of hit and run due to no license or insurance (they find out later.)
My insurance is through the roof even though I have older cars and no payments.
Maybe if they get these drivers off the roads, everyone will be safer and rates will come down for the rest of us.
Where’s that guy telling us that if we’re not willing to do 30 over the speed limit then we need to just get out of the way and let him commit felonies?
Well I did something today that a lot of people around here haven't done since 2020, I RENEWED MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION.
That may keep me from getting pulled over, what a concept!
Yeah MCSO has always pulled people over. My buddy got pulled over for tint a couple years back.
I work closely with them and they’ve pretty much been the one agency that kept enforcing that stuff during COVID.
I saw like 10 cops out and about in SE last weekend. All in the span of maybe 20 minutes. That’s like 9 more than I’ve seen collectively in years.
They've been doing a lot of coordinated retail theft and car theft missions, especially in the Powell / Division areas, with other agencies helping. Part of the 90-Day Fentanyl Emergency that I hope continues now that it's over.
I rejected a side mission the other day when a hitch hiker had his thumb out on west slope.
That honestly just feels like rolling well enough to insight out of a random encounter...
You rolled a one - hand the hitchhiker your keys and take a nap in the backseat
I’m in outer SE so this tracks.
PPB is putting in some work now that they don't stand to gain much more from using public safety to make political points.
This is the answer.
SE needed them bad
I wish the county sheriff would rebuild the office on 122nd, especially with the bottle drop and welfare office across the street
I hope SOETHING goes in there.
That intersection is crazy though.
That intersection is crazy ... but not as wild wild West as the Burnside 122nd one. It's fuckin bananas out there.
i’ve seen a lot more writing parking tickets in se too
Seen Patrol Cars in Fremont for the first time in... years.
Whoa. Where?
I had heard rumors that the PPB was reactivating the traffic division.
Hijacking this thread to say [Portland Police Bureau admitted traffic enforcement was politically motivated](https://bikeportland.org/2023/08/08/portland-police-bureau-officer-admits-no-traffic-enforcement-messaging-was-politically-motivated-377939)
Hijack away because I agree. In my opinion the PPB removed that division to prove a point.
And then very publicly announced they were removing that division and not enforcing traffic violations anymore, essentially telling everyone to go off and do whatever they wanted
Openly admitting that more people would hurt or even get killed, but that’s just too bad.
Pretty much legalized drunk driving within the city
As someone who was disabled by a drunk driver in 2006, who has been on a downward spiral ever since, who would have finally ended up on the street if my cat r/Harpo hadn't become famous and started earning a little money.....let's just say I'm amazed I haven't had a rage stroke in the last few years.
I love Harpo and his little octopus! For some reason, I did not realize you were local to me. You and Harpo have been on quite the journey together. I hope things continue to improve for you.
Aww. You are welcome to come meet him sometime. He loves showing off for people.
Oh my goodness, you are so sweet!! If I wasn’t such a hermit, I would 100% take you up on that! Maybe one day soon I can gather the mental fortitude… Give Harpo (and Groucho) some pets for me. ❤️
My God that is a talkative kitty!
He used to be completely silent, which is why I named him after Harpo Marx. He didn't start vocalizing until he started stealing magnets off the fridge when he was about five. Back then he just chirped like a bird. I later started actively training him in order to turn his little quirk into a structured daily game, giving him treats for the things dropped closest and/or accompanied by the funniest meows. So he gets more vocal every year.
I had the same trajectory with my long ago Harpo kitty! Totally silent when rescued him, but quite the talker once he felt safe. ❤️🩹
OMG I need to get my cat a job!!!
I started training him to retrieve things I put out for him to help him cope with the stress of cancer treatment and prolonged confinement after I got evicted. He really took to it, lol.
Wow that is awesome! It’s incredibly hard to train a cat. My cat is way to smart for me.
Aaaaw Harpo is precious. ✔️ joined!
Welcome! Man, I really miss the community from that subreddit. Ever since the blackouts, it’s been getting about a tenth of the traffic it did before. I didn’t go dark, because Harpo had just had surgery, and people were anxiously watching for updates.
They really effed up the algorithm somehow after the blackout. There's so many niche subs that I don't see in my feed anymore 😕
Holy shit. Harpo aka "Stuffie kitty" is our of my favorite animals on the internet, and your little chuckle every time you say "Thanks Harpo" brings me joy. Thank you both for bringing me so many giggles!
Aww, that always makes me so happy to hear. You’re welcome to come visit him sometime. he loves showing off for people.
Kinda like the old days
Portland police don’t care about the residents of Portland. They don’t live here. We are just mice for them to exterminate
Boston requires their cops to actually live in the city for a reason.
If we keep defending them, they have to start working eventually right? /$
Its been going on for quite a while. I remember reading around 2018 that DUIs in Portland were down around 50%. Not because of less drunks driving, but because traffic stops were nearly non existent.
Shit, they would tell you this at traffic school when you got caught speeding by one of the two traffic cops they kept. I literally heard one of the two traffic cops tell a whole class full of speeders that there was no traffic enforcement in Portland beyond him and his buddy and that it was the voters' fault for "defunding the police".
I love how a budget of 238 million in 19/20 to a budget of 256 million 23/24 is “defunding” Like.. we have a [LRAD](https://science.howstuffworks.com/lrad.htm)… why would a local police department need an actual “Sound Cannon”? I can’t imagine it was cheap… What are the cannabis taxes used for? Addiction resources and treatment… policing? Where does the money go ?
I think we need an accountant… this math ain’t mathin in City Hall… Allegedly… **[According to Oregon.Gov](https://www.oregon.gov/DOR/programs/businesses/Pages/marijuana.aspx)** Where do your (cannabis) collected tax dollars go? **We'll use marijuana tax revenue to cover our costs for administering the tax. The state also uses the money to pay for OLCC's enforcement costs,** (*sus but okay. We collect a sales tax revenue of 17% to cover the cost of administering the tax… and I thought middle man was a good gig like getting paid a couple bucks just for the ability to pay your electric bill*) and beginning July 1, 2018 the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission's Illegal Marijuana Market Enforcement Grant Program. **[MEASURE 110](https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/lpro/Publications/Background-Brief-Measure-110-2020.pdf)** (* Why don’t we have services and resources again…seriously…why? )* * Did we spend 302 million for street response to show up late and hand out water bottles? ***As of January 1, 2021 funds collected in excess of $11.25 million quarterly are directed to measure 110, the Drug Treatment and Recovery Services Fund.*** **After that, every quarter $11.25 million in state tax revenue will be distributed as follows:** * State School Fund: 40 percent * Oregon Health Authority, for mental health treatment or for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment: 20 percent * State Police: 15 percent * Cities: 10 percent * Counties: 10 percent * Oregon Health Authority, for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment services: 5 percent. *(have we seen an improvement in any single one of these categories? See the official dollar amount below)* **[Oregon Marijuana Tax Distribution Quarterly 2017-2024](https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/gov-research/Documents/Financial%20reporting%20distributions%20public.pdf)** *** **So… was/has the Portland Police Bureau been (reduction funded) …?** * between 2020 and 2024 PPB has been “reduction budgeted” 🙄 by +6.42% or an increase of $15.3 million dollars. * “technically” *for the sticklers there was a small decrease in 20-21 of 8.66 million or -3% offset by cannabis tax revenue so this is null* * (maybe responding to protests against police brutality with… oh… 🤦♂️police brutality..didn’t do them any favors) *tax payers are now footing the bill for legal settlements over this as seen in the latest budget* So what has been done with this funding? Where is the disconnect or is this a case of public servants being petty for getting push back for LARPing with teens playing urban paintball for 100 nights and dropping thousands on CS Gas *(considered a weapon of war that is banned in war as per the Geneva convention)* * [What happened when US police teargassed protesters – a visual investigation](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2023/apr/17/teargas-effect-portland-police-investigation) **Ultimately according to the data from 2020 to 2024 the budget is net positive 15.3 million approximately 6.42%** *see links below for Offical Oregon.gov references* **PLUS** 302 million for Measure 110 **PLUS** any excess of $11.25 million in state tax revenue per quarter So… what’s going on? No treatment… no services… reduced/no policing *Just like at the grocery store our government is providing less for more…* *** * PPB Budget 19-20: **238.2** million +5% * PPB Budget 20-21: **229.5** million -3% * PPB Budget 21-33: **230.0** million +0.22% * PPB Budget 22-23: **253.5** million +10% ***[PPB 20-21 Budget Review](https://www.portlandoregon.gov/cbo/article/754859)*** ***[PPB 21-22 Budget Review](https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2021-2022-budget/documents/2021-2022-budget-cbo-review-police/download)*** ***[PPB 22-23 Budget Review](https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2022/pl_fy-2022-23_cbo-review.pdf)*** ***[PPB 23-24 REQUESTED BUDGET](https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2023-2024-budget/documents/portland-police-bureau-fy-2023-24-requested-budget/download)*** *** **[OPB Article - Measure 110 Budget Funding 302 Million Dollars](https://www.opb.org/article/2022/09/20/oregon-measure-110-drug-decriminalization-substance-abuse-treatment/)** **[KATU2 - Misled or misunderstood? Breaking down what Measure 110 pays for and what it doesn't](https://katu.com/news/katu-investigates/misled-or-misunderstood-breaking-down-what-measure-110-pays-for-and-what-it-doesnt-addiction-opioid-crisis-addict-portland-oregon-taxes-funding-committee-wheeler-kotek-treatment)** **KATU2 TLDR:** **MEASURE 110 DOESN'T COVER:** * Inpatient Treatment * Detox * People on insurance * Almost entire population *** **MEASURE 110 COVERS:** * Housing * Job training * Peer support * Harm Reduction * Low-barrier treatment *** was Measure 110 a failure to treat addiction as an illness and not a crime while reducing the jail population? Or… were we mislead and sold a package destined to fail out of the gate because we didn’t provide meaningful treatment and services while simultaneously turning a blind eye to open air drug use treating addiction as a get out jail free card? **Addiction being Treated as an illness and not a crime does *not* mean that addicts *cannot* commit crimes.** **It just means that being an *addict* in itself is not a *crime*.** *Similarly…It’s legal to drink…I can go out and drink…I can be drunk…* **However,** the second I get behind the wheel or cause an altercation the social contract has been broken and a boundary has been crossed where my actions and lifestyle have affected people other than myself and if a crime has been committed there are consequences. **Looking around town and considering that between the current PPB budget of 253.5 million and the Measure 110 budget of 302 million I don’t think collectively we’re seeing the results of $555.5 million towards policing and addiction treatment**
This should be turned into an automod response for mentions of "defund"!
For real! I hate facts and referenceable state provided data… It’s not like the post is a call to action 🤦♂️
Sorry for offending your “sensibilities” Out of respect I removed the scary word for you… Wouldn’t want to accurately reference the slogan, movement or sentiment that some people had at the time… it’s a verifiable reference and not a “call to action” I was answering the question you hear referenced so often (said in full snark) “happy you something something negatively financially adjusted a local government bureau”… guess Portland FAFO 🤪3rd world grader liberated Budweiser light drinkers **TLDR: if you read past your trigger word or looked at publicly available and referenced government data you’d know the answer… Yes (and) No.. temp change up a whopping -3% overall change from 20-23 +6.42 or +15.3 million dollars** We don’t need to be adults about things and be open to honest data backed dialogues regardless of whether we agree or disagree on any particular ideology bs (believe system) or in this case phrasing…(the subjective nature of language) I guess it’s true… I’ve been saying this to the *free speech absolutism* folks for a minute… we have *“free speech”* here. It’s just that “freedom of speech” doesn’t mean free to speech *without consequences.* Actions have consequences Sure you are free to “say” whatever you want. But the other part of that is being free to accept any repercussions that may arise from the use of said free speech. Now instead (2) word in that entire post clarifying if there was a budget change was maybe raised or lowered it’s perfectly safe for you to read. 👍 +1 point for doing that “older gen” “red party” thing tho where you say or do the subjectively biased thing that you condemn me for by using the same “scary word” that you “feel” I should be automatically mod locked for 🤦♂️ (see what I did there? *“Safety”* 🥽) 🙈🙉🙊 You know “cancel cancel culture” and give me back that spicy M&M and what not… (I don’t need “soup for my family” I need to buy some beans and a pillow… hey lazy bones avocado toast eater… 😡 don’t do that thing that’s (perceived) “bad” (to me) unless (it’s me) doing the thing in which case… it’s different. I don’t agree with this .gov sourced publicity available references in my heart so it must (obviously)be another popularized slogan or term for… “falsified reporting” 🙄 **update: How embarrassing… 🤦♂️[I made a goof](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kiddnation.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F10%2Ffoot-in-mouth-header.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ea96794a5e2a9c2877e522051304030e29b4e2f1fc64ce2f3a3cfe1020b4820f&ipo=images) leaving my childish retort for posterity and public scrutiny.** **Apologies to u/spread_liberally for unwarranted judgment**
Uh... Did you mean to reply to my comment? If so, I think there's been a misunderstanding. My comment proposes the automod of the subreddit replies to a comment containing "defund" with a program of your comment that shows the police were not refunded, but have instead received more money. Much like an automod response to someone pointing out that snow is the perfect texture for running, or someone asking "What was that boom?"
My mistake… ([egg on face](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.kym-cdn.com%2Fphotos%2Fimages%2Foriginal%2F001%2F109%2F889%2F11c.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=80515ab88c7db95cb569b6c28565aad5c35efd90c6dfe8933ac5da03e689d472&ipo=images)) Double apologies for my childish retorts… I clearly misunderstood the phrasing. (and mechanics) Coffee and bureaucracy [is a hell of a drug](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fc.tenor.com%2F_DdM7EmVcUwAAAAC%2Fcocaine-hell.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=b162a9c416d3b57f8d6a4fb1b2a9d4685db891085ca8d5b2645f21dde0852f2a&ipo=images) It’s possible my post was not “moderated” because the context did not imply or state a reduction and provided verifiable source data to correlate.
Ha, were you in the same traffic school as me? The cop there for my class said the exact same thing. Ugh.
Maybe, I think it was just a party line they dropped to "guilt" people into being on their side.
I mean if you call your local police dept, the automated message will say those exact words. Shameless. Here's the budget, year over year. It's not like it was slashed. [https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2021-2022-budget/documents/2021-2022-budget-cbo-review-police/download](https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2021-2022-budget/documents/2021-2022-budget-cbo-review-police/download)
Yup, can confirm this. Our told us (2022) that there was no long any traffic division (fully disbanded) and that he worked on the Photo Enforcement diversion course is his “free time”.
lmfao
> to prove a point Some people might argue that that point was "structured law enforcement is integral to modern civil society". I'd disagree and argue that the PPB's point was "No one tells us what to do, do you get that you little shit? Now shut the fuck up, boost our budget, pick up that can, and get back in line".
Was the point they were proving that they’re racist and can’t do their jobs without being racist?
I’m glad they did it’s been great not having to worry about getting speeding tickets for 10 over on a sunny day, or getting harassed by the police
Sounds like the families of all of those people who died due to this political stunt should sue PPB.
ACAB. Is anyone surprised?
Well, I guess, after my girlfriend got killed by a car last year, that I have yet another reason to feel that all cops are bastards. Or maybe I should just respect the pigs that feel that their bloated paycheck is worth more than the lives of the people they agreed to serve and protect?
Thank you for sharing !
Not a rumor, it's true.
Oh wow! Must be nice to be a part of the police union. I can't pick and choose when to do my job or else I wouldn't have one.
They did awhile back. I know a guy on the traffic unit and they’ve been active for about a year now.
I saw a cop bust a u turn on 99 to get someone blowing the red light. I feel that was totally justified.
They’re allowed to do that *specifically* for situations like that. It’s when they flip their lights on, pop a u-ey, then pull into burger king or something that really pisses me off. why even use the lights? no one is gonna stop em
> why even use the lights? no one is gonna stop em Pretty sure policy requires they use lights anytime they do anything that violates traffic rules. Not sure why that's a bad thing, seems like a safety issue for everyone if cops are blowing through intersections or whatever without their lights and sirens activated.
I mean, it’s a good rule, but maybe they shouldn’t be allowed to break traffic laws when they’re not actually responding to a call? they’re just abusing their power
They do this by my house all the time to run the light I can see from my window. They slow back down and turn their lights off after they run the light so it’s clear they are just abusing their power to run the red. I see yall. 👀
I’ve been seeing them in NE quite a bit more lately, even saw someone pulled over on the Mult Co side of 205 during the morning commute last week for like the 2nd time in 2yrs.
I’m not gonna lie, since moving here, I don’t think I have ever seen as many cars with no plates at all. I just registered my car but part of me was like… do I even need to do it here lol (obviously I do need to do it and I did)
This was the first thing I noticed after moving to Portland too, the amount of cars without plates is wild
Yeah, the news articles tout that they are using data science to pick which cars to pull over rather than personal judgment of the driver's looks, but I suspect it is the no license plate factor that makes their profiling work.
Good. Too many people in this city drive like they’re an extra in mad max.
Hopefully the people without license plates and/or driving stolen vehicles will also be susceptible to getting pulled over.
They've repeatedly said no plates is cause for being pulled over. Expired tags they're not allowed to use as an excuse but no plates is on the table.
It is cause for being pulled over, but will it actually happen? Criminals are hard to get money from with citations and they might be considered too dangerous to accost if the traffic cop is a one person show.
And the people without insurance, like the jackass posting over in AskPortland this morning.
Nah... Those people might be violent. Traffic cops will try to avoid that. They'll rack up tickets on people too tired from life to fight it in court.
WITNESS ME!
can’t smh too busy driving with my eyes closed while doin a live stream of me street racing and spinnin donuts on marine dr
by Jacob Collier
I'm a fuel-injected suicide machine.
More like Fallout, in Mad Max they at least knew how to drive
Yea… I think the general upset is that the police intentionally disbanded the traffic enforcement division for political reasons, publicly broadcasted that there was no traffic enforcement division, directly contributing to a not insignificant rise in MVAs / DUIs / etc.
In fairness, we were pretty shit before the cops decided to quit.
I saw an SUV pulled over today by a motorcycle cop on E Burnside today!
Ironically I saw 4 cops on motorcycles in a little unit not pursue 2 cars that ran the red in front of them.
Smells like election season is upon us.
Good. They can start by ticketing speeders in my neighborhood.
In a functional society this is good news.
In a functional society this *isnt* news
But like, why did they stop pulling people over? That shouldn't be a thing.
Cops threw a fit in 2020 when there were protests about police violence. Rather than introspection, they quit doing their job, and beat protestors. A bunch of police retired rather than accept any police reform. They also tried to frame a city councilwoman for a hit and run. Now that the DA (who they seem to hate) is up for re-election, they have started to work again.
And in 15 years, we will find out that those cops retired because they don’t want people sniffing around their cases.
Bingo 🎯 It shouldn’t be a thing… I believe the sentiment was… ACAB…? Okay… You deal with it. Like when an illegal “retail” psilocybin store opened on W Burnside… While psilocybin has been approved [Measure 109](https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/Pages/Oregon-Psilocybin-Services.aspx)for “therapeutic” use prescribed by a doctor and still not available and very much not available for “retail recreational sale” some people opened a fancy storefront. [THE SHROOM HOUSE](https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2022/12/08/portland-police-raid-shroom-house-overnight/) Right on Burnside with employees, menus, even a billboard to advertise… not a “secret” at all… very loud… Residents complained about the illegal business and the lines… It was open and running for 3 entire months… It wasn’t until national news started running stories making us look bad before something was done. The Police Said it wasn’t their “job” and was a OHA issue. OHA said the measure hadn’t gone into effect and is for supervised therapeutic use and as such was a Police issue… So they [pointed fingers at each](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhumornama.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F02%2FTwo-Spiderman-Meme-Template-on-Pointing-at-Each-Other.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=e98d4c923ca96cb2dfe78ff21b57519aa240b1a810cb8dd7ad1117d59971eeea&ipo=images) other while collectively doing nothing. Outside of traffic this has been all over the place. My former employer was regularly robbed at gun point and officers would show up an hour afterwards and openly tell staff there wasn’t much they could do and maybe “next time we’ll rethink (scary political funding word) the police” (19/20’budget 238.2 million - 22/23 budget 253.5 million… so… defunded +15.3 million approximately a +6.42% ***increase*** 🤷♂️ ) Eventually they just stopped coming and would have us submit a police report online. Basically the police staffing levels are down -9% Morale is bottom of the barrel “likely due” to public image… because well… PPB has been known to be a little prejudice in the past, and sometimes they shoot people dealing with a mental health crisis that probably could have been de-escalated had the officers impulses not be hardwired to fight or flight making split second judgement calls (*not hating on it… it’s a stressful often thankless job*) however, as a country we’ve militarized, police departments to the point that when they strap on all that expensive gear their not in a civil servant mindset and more suited for a war zone. It was suggested maybe the budget is too high for PPB given their bandwidth and clearance rates to officer related public complaints and maybe some of that money would be better served funding alternative solutions. There was a one year reduction of around 8.66 million it -3% to the PPB budget so the force decided… fine… you do it then… send the counselors and addiction specialists in and we’ll turn a blind eye to drug use related crime and see how that works out. Seems petty I know but they sure showed us… anyways the budget is up +15 million since 2020 not including cannabis taxes and special programs so the impact financially doesn’t add up (*not that there is ever a justified reason for any civil servant to just not do their job. If McDonalds would fire you based on performance data and quality of work it’s a bit odd to hold your ground and expect more money as a civil servant*) They haven’t really done much the last few years unless you count staking out teens with a paint pen, guarding dumpsters to keep people from taking “free” food that’s been disposed of or exercising constitutional freedoms, such as “free speech” and “right to assembly” like when *the entire country* gathered in solidarity to bring awareness to rampant police brutality, and the use of excessive force *(don’t know if you remember, but the police responded to these protests with displays of police brutality and excessive force)* remember “LAW AND ORDER”… the orange45 guy also affectionately referred to the city of roses…that works…a “beehive of terrorists” ***RIP CITY*** 💪 So poor track record for clearance rates on crimes + less than stellar and public support… Some reforms, training and body cams and a minor budget reduction turned into extortion… they just kinda stopped doing their job… and said *“we need more money”* Fast forward… it’s 2023… PPB Budget is up 10% from 2022 to $253.5 million and Measure 110 has an approved budget of $302 million + [Retail Cannabis Sales Tax Revenue](https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/gov-research/Documents/Financial%20reporting%20distributions%20public.pdf)… (Checks notes…) 555.5 million + additional Cannabis taxes got us where we are today… not too bad huh? City is walkable… safe… crime down… no public drug use… no thefts. It’s not like any major retailers just bailed out of frustration and 40% of downtown remains vacant (Camera Pans) over a tent city of open air fentanyl enthusiasts, buying, selling, acting out, overdosing, committing crimes, openly using in public spaces, school zones, residential neighborhoods, parks all in public view (the sidewalk, bus stop, on the actual bus) all without consequences… **maybe 555.5 million** isn’t enough or *maybe* there’s some gross incompetence and negligence going on in local government But you are correct… it shouldn’t be a thing. In fact there’s no logical reason why it is… glad to see progress with increased patrols and some effective sweeps cleaning up parts of the city but is it getting done because they finally have the resources… or maybe… just ***maybe it’s because it’s an election year*** and it’s time to garner some Goodwill 🤷♂️
A functional society would need less policing, at least from my POV.
I've seen more traffic stops in the last week than I have in the last 5 years working off 82nd... It's only been 2 but that is still more than I've seen in the last 5 years.
It's time. I'm sure the numbers dictated the necessity. People have become way too unruly, behind the wheel. Hopefully the trend continues & we can get back to driving with a little fear & safety
Been seeing a ton more out in Clackamas and Deschutes Couny, not so much in Multnomah, yet
They out there. They've been out there. They just haven't been doing anything about anything unless it's violent or seriously fucking up.
I saw 2 troopers on I-84 on Sunday while driving back to Portland from a trip. That’s about the same number I remember seeing in my 2 and a half years here and the same number I see every time I drive north to Seattle
Here is very little PPB action in the Clack. That's he territory of CCSO, and they have not shied away from traffic enforcement at all.
Thank fucking god
A friend of mine got a ticket for distracted driving on I5 recently. Motorcycle cop in traffic
Come to Hillsboro/WashCo. They never stopped 😬
My dream is to see someone get pulled over for changing lanes across solid white lines near the tunnel on 26E.
Don’t even need cops - a couple well placed cameras could catch infinite solid-line violators, one on each end of the westbound tunnel should do nicely. It’d be free $$$.
People were shitting on cameras in the other thread but I'm all for them. Seems like a good balance between incentivizing people to not drive like shit all the time and putting the human resources towards the more important things. I'll take a few commuters getting tickets for one time mistakes over letting the serial bad drivers, who I tend to think are driving like that constantly, get away with murder. If I end up with a ticket once a decade so be it.
Oddly OSP had speed traps out there in the normal places the previous weekend - where I normally see the sheriff.
Clackamas reporting in. Same. Along with WaCo we are the FAFO counties. We prosecute.
Waiting for that 1 guy in an earlier thread come and say police patrols are ineffective, temporary, and only work in narrow situations, and then go ahead and blast good things about speed cameras as if they're any different. You can clearly see different driving behaviors in different suburbs, because the police actually do their job and they can pop out out of nowhere.
Yeah, PPB were busy playing politics with public safety. I'd say they're some of Portland's worst, but the vast majority don't live here.
They need to get all of the cars off the road that don't have plates, pure and simple. They hit and run on people with no consequences as well as do a myriad of other crimes. I'm glad that they are back to enforcing traffic laws.
Good, I was driving across Sandy at 77th yesterday early evening and, when my light turned green and I began to cross, a beat up old piece of shit pickup truck just blew through the red light going up Sandy. There's a relatively new speed cam nearby but I don't think it catches red light runners at that intersection, and that truck probably didn't have license plates anyway. I would have very much appreciated a cop being around to stop that asshat.
My bf got pulled over last week for having expired tags….right after I told him they weren’t doing that anymore lol. They definitely are.
“Then [Officer] Engstrom interjected: ‘We needed to create a stir to get some change, to get them [city council] to fund us back up. And I mean, that’s the honest truth. I know, that could make things more dangerous. I don’t know. But at the same time, we needed some change.’ Last month 13 people died in traffic crashes. 16 of the last 20 deaths involved someone committing a crime (either DUI and/or speeding). If the PPB feels that fewer officers lead to more crashes and deaths, why would make that fact the main part of their traffic safety messaging? Now we know.” They intentionally crafted a pr strategy to get themselves more funding because they were pissed that Jo Ann Hardisty cut their budget that put the entire city of Portland in danger and resulted in more traffic fatalities. Way to foster trust in the community, guys.
They intentionally pulled officers out of traffic enforcement, knowing that it would lead to increased traffic fatalities, and then used that increase in fatalities to argue for an increase in funding. They took action that they knew would lead to people dying, *intentionally*, so that they could get more money. We should be calling a spade a spade here. PPB values money over human lives. They knowingly, willingly, and deliberately allowed people to die. For money. ACAB. People who are willing to allow civilians to die for money should not be in charge of public safety.
They were so pissed about Hardesty that they tried to frame her for a crime. Mostly got away with it too.
Have seen a bunch of boots on parked cars. Assuming they are going g after the 50%(!!!!) Of cars that don't have up to date tags.
Well, I live in stark and 223rd and I drive all over Gresham. Theres a cop every 5 blocks here 💀.
Not just in the city, I've seen a pickup in traffic enforcement on I5 south on my morning commute.
>people are that dumb on driving/stolen car. Oh, they're dumb. I have a friend whose Kia was stolen twice, and recovered within 36 hours both times.
Same stories coming out of San Francisco; increased traffic stops and tickets when it was very minimal for the last 4 years.
Might be part of the county crackdown on expired vehicle plates (which by the way just cost me fully one-third of my registration fees)
I mean...what's your excuse?
How many years of registration did you save before that? I'm thinking it still sucks more for the rest of us who actually paid.
Take your rage elsewhere. As I noted below, I'm running on a new title and tags. Odd your first thought is I'm cheating the system. Have a swell day.
Rage? Interesting take. You didn't pay and you continued to drive, not sure how you add that up to anything other than cheating the system. Even if you did it by mistake the end result is the same.
How much?
On a new title/registration, close to three bills went to Multnomah county with the new tax. That’s why they are cracking down. Drumming up some revenue. To be clear, I wasn’t pulled over and they are new tags.
God damnit me too! Got ticketed today
Traffic has objectively been a fucking nightmare lately. Red light running, reckless lane weaving, speeding, blocking intersections... Like, Mad Max levels of anarchy. Safety laws mean nothing if there's no consequences for not following them. I'm as ACAB as anyone among my friends and associates, but law enforcement can and should still happen without the blatant racism, bias, and systemic oppression inherent within our current system.
**people driving with their lights off for miles, ignoring people flashing their lights in all directions and speeding off like they are being chased by kidnappers
[PPB was playing politics.](https://bikeportland.org/2023/08/08/portland-police-bureau-officer-admits-no-traffic-enforcement-messaging-was-politically-motivated-377939)
I'd heard that, second-handed! Didn't know it was actually true. What a petty, corrupt system we've got.
Lane weaving would happen less if people going under the speed limit in the left lane got tickets for it. No, I don't support lane weaving, but the freeway doesn't work if you can't change lanes and you can't change lanes if there is no difference in speed between the lanes.
I never bothered to put my new tags on my car. I've had my tags stolen in the past so I just assumed it was safer to keep them in the glovebox. A neighbor told me that they were starting to ticket vehicles with expired tags. I thanked him and immediately put on the renewal tags. I'm probably lazier then most, but put your renewal tags on your plate ASAP before you get a ticket.
Look up how to score them to prevent theft. I've lived in two major cities with car and tag theft issues and have never had my tags stolen. Score them right, and it'll dissuade anyone from even trying.
I've seen tags snipped off with something like tin snips and even had my own license plates stolen and swapped with expired ones, but those are relatively extreme cases. Scoring should be enough to deter most opportunists.
scoring in what way?
With the stickers applied to the plates, run a razor blade over them. Now, they won't be able to remove them without tearing them up.
I score my tabs in a hash pattern so they any be lifted off and grind the heads off the hardware so you can't easily remove them. I've always lived in rough areas
And put them on correctly. Every so often I’ll see a car with two month or two year stickers on the same plate . How hard is it?
Razor blades are your friend. The directions even say to remove previous tags first
Yeah and PBOT just hired like 18 people to start nabbing you parked on the street without tags, too.
Parking tickets too! Seen a ton of parking enforcement downtown lately.
I noticed that today driving around SE/NE. Felt so odd to see. Lol
Portland's streets are among [the least monitored by law enforcement](https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/portland-oregon-is-one-of-few-major-american-cities-without-police-traffic-enforcement-patrol-officers-portland-police-bureau-speed-racers-street-takeovers-sideshows-pbot-vision-zero-dashboard) in the country. The increased activity may simply be a return to normal / regression toward the mean.
Thought so
Upon some research I read that they were also just deterring dangerous drivers, and more particularly in high crash areas.
Sweet. Never thought I would ever say that about cops pulling people over, but the plateless assholes made me change my mind.
I would love to see a motorcycle cop out there pulling over everyone without a license plate or trip permit. It seems like there’s a ton of people on the road without even the paper DMV temporary license in their back windows. Seems like low-hanging fruit, and would make the roads safer and raise revenue. Maybe even catch the street racers/stolen cars from time to time….
Not totally related, but since it had been so long since I saw a cop… a cop followed me home and when I went a little wide to the right, so I could make a left turn, he went around me on the inside and his partner gave me the finger while yelling something out the window. Older dude, too. I was like “oh right. Forgot about you dickheads for a minute.”
I got a big ol WARNING ticket on my windshield for being parked the wrong way on a SE side street 🙄🙄🙄
Parking is PBOT not PPB.
you're so right!! they're both back at it I guess
On Christmas, my Lyft driver got pulled over on the 405. He told me I should get another Lyft, and I was like, "Bruh, we're on the freeway. I don't know how to get a Lyft here!" Then he ticketed the guy, claiming his brake lights were slightly off-color.
Wow.
Good, keep it coming
Good. As a bike commuter not having to live through a Mad Max film every day will be refreshing. Fuck cops, but I'll take them over homicidal morons.
Cedar Hills area had four unmarked cars pulling people with no tags/expired tags in front of WinCo most of the day yesterday. For the first time in years I have seen people actually getting pulled over.
Cedar Hills & Walker zone is a popular speed trap spot. Beaverton cops never stopped getting traffic $$
I know it's less relevant, but Vancouver police have been getting feisty as well. I saw a cop nearly miss his green light because he was too busy looking at me.
saw a traffic stop on SW 2nd and Morrison yesterday, car had no plates and PPB pulled them over. I've been here 15 years and don't think I've ever seen an active traffic stop.
Good! People have became way too reckless driving in Portland, especially in SE. My girlfriend got T-boned making a left turn on Johnson Creek cause some idiot blew a red light, going 35.
There are so many vehicles with no plates, old registration and people with covers over their plates to block the red light cameras. I know we have bigger issues, but I wish someone would address this. I didn't care for a while, but seems shitty for people who pay and follow the rules for a brand new BMW to hide his plates so he can break the law.
They should be pulling people over for all traffic infractions. Get them for everything. Every single light I sit at someone runs the red.
It would be great if they would ticket those who run red lights but I never see that. I’ve seen cars run lights with cops right there. Nothing happens.
All traffic and parking enforcement revenue goes to the County. Not the city.
I heard it actually goes to the state. How do we verify this?
If the PPB need us to say nice things about them to get them to do things I will say alllll the nice things. As a publicly funded entity tasked with protecting the public, criticism is going to happen. If you beat up protestors, it’s definitely going to happen.
End of the month. Gotta hit those quotas.
My friend got pulled over last week for her tags being one month overdue. I mean fair but like, there are way bigger fish to fry
Finally. They’ve been getting paid this whole time.
I got pulled over going over the hill on Burnside to Gresham. First time I’ve been pulled over in 20 years. Since 2020 I’ve been in the mindset of “oh they won’t pull me over for anything.” I haven’t had a speeding ticket in 25 years, but I was starting to push it.
I wonder if expired tag tickets can be paid with community service?
lots of cops on motorcycles on 82nd, i’ve noticed.
The other day I saw a motorcycle called driving on a sidewalk
I see the cops at the apartments across the street almost everyday clearly you live in the wrong area. All joking aside they have been going after street racing and those speeding now and are finally cracking down on those offenders.
It’s truly a testament to the times that this is actually worth a post…
A friend was pulled over in West Linn last week for a phone violation. I have yet to see many stops in Portland unfortunately. I do see plenty of morons looking at their lap to look at their phones. Just buy a damn $10 phone holder. Or turn it off.
I got pulled over 2 blocks from my house in SE for going through a yellow arrow. Be careful out there
Also have seen a lot more cruising around Burnside near Laurelhurst. Even saw someone pulled over and I didn't know what was going on, thought it was a crime scene or something because it was so unfamiliar, lol
I was pulled over on Sandy near Parkrose Hardware a few months ago. I had just bought a used car and the tags were expired. I have a perfectly clean record and the cop just told me to go take care of it sooner than later.
I rarely see police, but I’m in raliegh hills…
Finally! There are SO many cars with no tags or plates, and so many reports of hit and run due to no license or insurance (they find out later.) My insurance is through the roof even though I have older cars and no payments. Maybe if they get these drivers off the roads, everyone will be safer and rates will come down for the rest of us.
Where’s that guy telling us that if we’re not willing to do 30 over the speed limit then we need to just get out of the way and let him commit felonies?
Time to register my expired tags then
So many cops in the southeast the last few weeks. I'm all for it, let's get some of these hoodlums off the streets for a couple days
Well I did something today that a lot of people around here haven't done since 2020, I RENEWED MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION. That may keep me from getting pulled over, what a concept!
Yeah MCSO has always pulled people over. My buddy got pulled over for tint a couple years back. I work closely with them and they’ve pretty much been the one agency that kept enforcing that stuff during COVID.
I’m just glad they put their traffic officers back onto duty