1 week Ago By Zaeem Shaikh
Portland has not recorded a homicide in a month, a gap not seen since early 2020 and a noticeable respite after the city saw seven killings this March. Officers last responded to the scene of a homicide on March 21 , when police arrived at a Northeast Portland hotel to find a 26-year-old who had been stabbed to death. Just hours later, Police Chief Bob Day stood in front of reporters and lamented the toll, saying the spate of violence was unacceptable even as overall homicide numbers continue to decline from their historic highs.
Last month’s violence began with the separate fatal shootings of two men and a woman within hours of each other on March 3 and 4. Five days later, a 33-year-old man was gunned down in an apartment complex. On March 17, a woman was killed in the Centennial neighborhood, and a 17-year-old was killed in Powellhurst-Gilbert the following day.
The March 21 to April 21 gap is the longest in the city since early 2020 , when Portland went 86 days without a killing, from Jan. 4 to March 30, before a pandemic-era spike drove homicide numbers well above the city’s historic averages. It’s not clear if the trend will continue.
Homicides are unpredictable, but police spokesman Mike Benner credited the work of the Police Bureau to address gun violence and take firearms off the streets. He also said the city’s violence intervention program, Ceasefire, and the Office of Violence Prevention have played a role in keeping the community safe. Shootings are also down by close to 30% compared with the same period last year, according to police data.
The Police Bureau has recorded 190 shooting incidents – 31 of which resulted in non-fatal injuries, compared with 266 last year. Portland has recorded 10 homicides this year, compared with 27 at this time last year. — Zaeem Shaikh covers the Portland Police Bureau and criminal justice issues for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Reach him at 503-221- 4323, [email protected] or on X @zaeemshake ..
