Portland police arrest 51 in gang crackdown

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – In a two-week span, the Portland Police Bureau arrested 51 people, seized 17 firearms as part of a city-wide effort to reduce gang and gun violence.

“Operation Safe Spring” ran nearly around the clock from April 7 to April 20.

Portland Police officers served search warrants on 12 people, 4 residences and 5 vehicles.

236 people were searched under Oregon’s probable cause statues or either gave consent, according to police. Two residences and 26 vehicles were also search.

Police say 17 firearms were seized, along with small amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and cash.

Multnomah County’s Department of Community Justice Parole and Probation officers contacted 105 offenders during the effort.

Police say in total, 51 people were arrested during Operation Safe Spring on a variety of charges including attempted aggravated murder, first-degree assault, felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and numerous state and federal warrants.

Police will discuss the mission on Friday at the Community Peace Collaborative meeting at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is held at North Precinct, located at 449 Northeast Emerson Street.

The mission was run by the PPB’s Gang Enforcement Team (GET). They were assisted by North Precinct, the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT), the Air Support Unit (ASU), the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Attorney’s Office — Oregon, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).