The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Transit Police Division, in partnership with the Portland Police Bureau and TriMet, conducted a public safety mission on September 8, 2022, focusing on the immediate area of 122nd Avenue and East Burnside Street. The intersection is a high crime location, drawing numerous calls for service and complaints, and is the location of two recent shootings, on August 12 and August 28.
During the mission, approximately 20 officers and deputies performed high-visibility foot patrols, provided outreach, made numerous positive contacts with community members and addressed crime near the 122nd Ave. MAX Station and in the immediate neighborhood.
The crime reduction mission occurred between 4 and 8 p.m. According to data, this four-hour span is the time of day in which the Transit Police Division receives the highest number of calls for service.
As the mission got underway, Transit Police officers contacted a man trespassing on TriMet’s tracks. During the contact, deputies learned the man was in possession of a firearm. After further investigation, deputies determined the firearm was loaded and that it was stolen. They also learned the man was wanted for a prior illegal firearm possession crime.
Throughout the event, officers and deputies located replica firearms and drugs, including fentanyl, in powdered and pill form.
The mission resulted in 31 warnings and 15 arrests, and weapons and drug seizures. Charges ranged from criminal trespass to illegal possession of a firearm.
The event is part of a larger public safety strategy developed by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, called the Enhanced Public Safety Initiative (EPSI- LINK). Launched in April 2022, EPSI is a proactive, multi-layered strategy, developed to address the unprecedented levels of gun violence and traffic fatalities in our community, and to create community-engaged policing opportunities.
