Portland,Oregon

PPB

Portland Badge

Site LE Agency
Portland Police Bureau

Site Researcher
Dr. Jeffrey Tyner, Dr. Jessica Minnier, and Dr. Kevin Watanabe-Smith, Oregon Health and Science University

Site Focus
Motor Vehicle Theft

SPI Strategy
Data Analysis

Site Cohort
2023

Site Profile
Low density urban area of 4,888 sq. miles with a population of 641,162

Project Overview

Portland is ranked fifth in the country for highest rate of vehicle thefts per capita. Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has previously partnered with data analysts at Oregon Health and Science University address this rising issue and began the initial phase of this project in March 2022 by determining data points that help identify stolen vehicles. Together, they plan to build upon the initial success and develop a comprehensive Stolen Vehicle Operations (SVO) program for data points and enrichment factors.  

Data Highlight:

  • A total of 11,097 stolen vehicle reports were received by the PPB in 2022.
  • Portland ranks 5th in the nation for vehicle thefts.
  • Stolen vehicles have increased by 112% since 2016.

Methods and Findings