Slowly but surely, Portland is changing its tune when it comes to enforcement of driving rules and behaviors. In just a few short years we’ve gone from a frosty relationship between the Portland police and transportation bureaus, to a shift in tone that seeks to send a clear message to drivers that if you don’t follow laws, the City of Portland is “coming for you.”
The latest evidence of this trend toward addressing driver lawlessness was an enforcement mission conducted by the Portland Police Bureau yesterday. The mission was targeted at, ghost cars, vehicles whose owners have purposely removed license plates to obscure their identity. Not having plates is a very dangerous violation for many reasons. Most people think it’s done to avoid automated enforcement cameras and/or having the plate number easily run by a police officer. Those are very serious concerns. In addition, when people are victimized by a driver who doesn’t have a license plate, it is almost impossible to identify the perpetrator and seek justice.
That’s why I was heartened to learn that the Portland Police Bureau did a “no plate vehicle mission” yesterday. According to the PPB, the mission came in response to community concerns. “In addition,” PPB wrote in a statement. “PPB has found that often times vehicles without plates are either stolen, used in the commission of a crime, or connected to other crimes.”
In a partnership with Central Precinct’s Neighborhood Response Team and the Bike Squad, a total of 12 stops were made in downtown and the central eastside. Of those 12 stops, two people were arrested and eight citations were issues. Five of the vehicles were towed and officers recovered two stolen cars and two stolen bicycles. That’s a pretty high rate of return on just 12 stops and it underscores how widespread this problem is.
PBOT will never reach Vision Zero without a big change in driving culture. More enforcement of traffic laws is an essential part of that culture change. They need to not only do the enforcement, but publicize it at every opportunity so that more Portlanders get the message that they need to operate their vehicles safely and according to the law.
