Last Thursday, police arrested 28 people during a seven-hour “high-visibility public safety mission” that focused on train platforms and bus stops near Northeast 122nd Avenue, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers from the sheriff’s office, the Portland Police Bureau, and the Port of Portland participated in the mission.
The arrestees face various crimes, including narcotics possession, drug distribution, and outstanding warrants. Police say they recovered one stolen car.
Officers also discovered a guy who “became unresponsive” after an apparent drug overdose, according to the sheriff’s The cops provided Naloxone, which can reverse the effects of a narcotic overdose, and called for an ambulance.bulance.
According to police, many citizens contacted officers during the mission and “expressed their gratitude for the increased presence of officers.”
TriMet ridership has declined in recent years, in part because people believe they are in danger on the metro area’s trains and buses.
Only 42% of MAX riders who took TriMet’s Attitude & Awareness poll last year said they felt safe on the train, down more than 30 percentage points from a decade ago. Feelings of discomfort were nearly as strong among bus riders, with 54% reporting they felt comfortable on neighborhood buses.
Approximately 80% of poll respondents who do not utilize public transportation reported feeling insecure on the system’s trains and buses.
In 2024, a man stabbed another train rider to death in Portland, among other high-profile violent occurrences in recent years. Earlier this year, a man was imprisoned for sexually assaulting an unconscious lady at a train station in Hillsboro’s transit center.
Police said they will continue to monitor crime data in preparation for future public-safety missions aimed at buses and trains.