Portland police and prosecutors plan to crack down on street racing more frequently and aggressively across the city after securing a six-figure state grant to boost enforcement.
The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission approved the $100,000 reward on Monday, following a direct offer of funding from Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt and Portland Police Chief Bob Day.
The funding could allow Portland police to more than double the number of enforcement missions they conduct this year compared to last year.
“At these events, people get hurt. My office has had to respond to murders that have occurred as a result of these events,” Schmidt told committee members. “We see a lot of guns being used along with these events. We've also seen looting of local businesses in some cases.”
Day said Portland police conducted four street-racing enforcement missions last year, making dozens of arrests, seizing guns and impounding cars. Each of the department's enforcement operations cost about $10,000, he said.
“We're already starting to get the word out” about the city's efforts to crack down on these dangerous and destructive events, Day said.
But leaders from both law enforcement agencies said they want to do more.
In recent years, street racing enthusiasts, many of whom live out of state, have routinely flocked to Portland in droves, blocking major roads, intersections and sometimes bridges.
The event can last several hours and often involves drivers spinning their cars wildly in circles and racing each other, with large crowds of spectators cheering them on. Residents living nearby said they had received threats from the protesters.
The collision killed both the driver and the spectator. A shooting incident also occurred during a street race in Portland.
In 2021, the Portland City Council promulgated an ordinance that increases penalties for street racing, including towing a vehicle. Last June, Gov. Tina Kotek signed a bill in Oregon that increases penalties for people caught racing on the streets.
Schmidt, who faces a tough re-election bid this year, said the idea of seeking state funding to combat Portland's street racing scourge saw several cars break up during a police ride on New Year's Eve. He said he came up with the idea after
That night, Mr. Schmidt also heard from the commander of the city's North Precinct, which requires dozens of officers to perform a single mission, many of whom may work overtime, five-figure sums. He also said that he had directly heard about the costs.
“It really takes a lot of force,” he said.
Schmidt served as director of the state's Criminal Justice Commission until he was elected in 2020. Last summer, he lobbied and secured $400,000 from the commission to fund the launch of a new hotel security district in downtown Portland.
— Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632
Email skavanaugh@oregonian.com
Follow us on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh
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