PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – August 2016 will go down as one of the most violent months in Portland since officials started keeping records, according to police.
As of Monday, Portland police have investigated at least 105 acts of gang violence, 21 cases in August alone, Gang Enforcement Team Supervisor Sgt. Ken Duilio said.
PPB’s gang unit took 25 cases in May 2015, marking the highest-ever number of documented acts of gang violence in a single month since the bureau kept records.
Police tell KOIN 6 News they believe there’s an intense rivalry brewing between 3 gangs in the Rose City. Officers aren’t publicly discussing the specific gangs involved to keep from glorifying them. But for much of 2016, gang shootings have been dropping or holding steady when compared to figures from 2015.
The gangs have reportedly become more aggressive as summer winds down, but police haven’t been able to identify any single incident that led to the increase.
Instead, most of the shootings appear to be retaliatory in nature, Duilio said.
When one gang targets another, there is reportedly a cycle that unfolds, leaving officers jumping from one shots fired call to the next.
“It’s a back-and-forth,” Duilio said of the recent shootings.
On Saturday, GET officers responded to Essex Park around 7 p.m. on reports of a shooting. Witnessed told police several people were standing in the park when a group of people in different cars started firing guns, leaving everyone scattering.
Police learned there were at least 3 shooters in that incident, Duilio said.
“It’s concerning,” he told KOIN 6 News. “It’s alarming.”
Early Monday, police located one of the cars suspected to be involved in the shooting. Duilio said evidence found inside the car places it at the scene of Saturday’s shooting.
Rayshawn Strickland, 18, was arrested and booked into jail on a parole hold.
Incidents involving multiple shooters are on the rise, according to police. It’s these types of shootings that have officers concerned for the public’s safety.
“It’s brutal,” Dulio said. “Anyone could be in the line of fire.”
Despite gang-related crimes continuing to plague the city, PPB’s gang unit will likely see its staffing reduced once October arrives, according to Duilio.
Five officers and a sergeant will be transferred out of the GET, the Portland Tribune reported. At a community meeting, Chief Mike Marshman said that although he’s transferring staff from specialized units to fill vacant patrol positions, he also wants them to find time to interact with young people in the community.
In April 2016, the bureau launched a 2-week mission called “Operation Safe Spring” which netted the arrests of 51 people and the recovery of 17 firearms. Duilio credited the undertaking as a significant reason why gang shootings dropped early this spring.
In 2015, GET responded to a total of 193 acts of violence.
Recent shootings include the following:
- Aug 29 – SE 136th and SE Powell
- Aug 28 – Essex Park
- Aug 21 – NE 18th and NE Alberta
- Aug 19 – NE 80th and NE Glisan
- Aug 18 – SE 8th and SE Morrison
- Aug 18 – NE 9th and NE Alberta
- Aug 9 – NE 159th and E Burnside
- Aug 7 – NE 22nd and NE Glisan
- Aug 7 – SE 149th and SE Stark
- Aug 6 – NE 9th and NE Holman
- Aug 4 – SE 36th and SE Belmont
- Aug 1 – NE 7th and NE Bryant
Anyone with information about gun crimes in the City of Portland is encouraged to contact PPB’s Tactical Operations Division at 503.823.4106 or email information here.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers a minimum $250 cash reward to anyone who reports a convicted felon or a juvenile in possession of a firearm.
Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Rewards of up to $1,000 are also available for other unsolved felony crimes and $2,500 for unsolved homicides.
Submit an anonymous tip:
Text CRIMES (274637) – Type 823HELP, followed by the tip.
Online: at http://crimestoppersoforegon.com/submit_online_tip.php
Call: 503.823.HELP (4357)
Filed under: Crime, Local News, Multnomah County, Oregon, Portland, Top Video, Violent Crime
