Residents are using their cell phones to capture pictures of strange cars without license plates in their neighborhood. They are calling the police on a regular basis as more and more new cars are popping up. Neighbors say the cars that have tags don’t match the resident.
Some of the residents have taken photos of cars being stripped of car parts. Portland police says they have focused much of their efforts on locating and recovering stolen vehicles. Residents say that the criminals are aggressive and seem not to care they are being watched
Residents say that North Trenton Street near the intersection of North Columbia and North Peninsular is a hotspot for car stripping activity. The Portland Police Bureau said eight stolen vehicles and three stolen license plates were recovered on one day alone.
Some residents feel ignored by police for months. There has been over sixty calls in the last three months to police about the hotspot mentioned above. On another day close to 20 tires were slashed on vehicles at the Fred Meyer parking lot.
Criminals car strippers usually go for tires while others target catalytic converters and airbags. Depending on the type of car what is considered valuable. There are other criminals that can sell those parts so those who strip the cars see immediate gain and opportunity. Many car strippers in a low level are drug addicts or are usually involved in other criminal activities.
