Portland Police and Businesses Team Up to Bust Thieves and Drug Users in Dawson Park Crackdown

PORTLAND, Ore. — Dawson Park in Portland was ‘safe-proofed’ on Sunday when the police partnered with local area business owners and the Organized Retail Crime Association of Oregon to arrest thieves and illegal drug users.

Twenty-six people were arrested, 100 criminal charges were filed, and 16 outstanding warrants were served in the crime-busting swoop, according to a statement issued by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).

Police returned stolen items worth hundreds of dollars to businesses around Dawson Park and intercepted several illegal drug transactions.

The crime bust was manned by officers from the city’s Northern Precinct Neighborhood Response Team (NRT), officers from Central and East NRT, and members of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit.

The PPB says efforts to make parks and businesses safe for the community will continue.