News At 3:17 pm on August 31, reportedly, a hipster robbed a bank. "That was the description given by witnesses," says Portland Police Sgt. Pete Simpson. "It's definitely open to interpretation."  The employees of Albina Community Bank at 5636 Northeast Sandy Boulevard also described the unarmed assailant as "a male white or Asian in his early 30s, 5'7" tall, thin build, dark hair, black cap, ...   More

News The Portland Police Bureau has expanded the types of crimes for which it encourages citizens to file their own reports online. In a recent press release, the bureau announced it was adding shoplifting—including quickie-mart "beer runs"—and "suspicious activity" to the types of crimes that can be reported using an online crime reporting tool launched in early 2010.The company that markets the tool, ...   More

News A Portland Police Bureau report prepared this week for the Multnomah County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council illustrates the migration of gun and gang crime over the past decade and a half. The maps below, for some reason marked "do not disseminate," are reproduced from the report, which was posted online.Gang violence is in the news again after a wave of recent shootings, including the arrest ...   More

News Can trees fight crime in Portland? A new study from the Pacific Northwest Research Station in the US Forest Service shows some might. But before you get out your seeds and watering can, make sure you know what kind of trees to plant. The study, the first of its kind in Oregon, found that large trees on a front lawn were associated with an decrease in both property and violent crimes, while numerous ...   More