'Extremely dangerous': 19 arrested in Portland street takeover mission

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Nineteen people were arrested over the weekend during a street takeover mission led by the Portland Police Bureau and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, PPB announced.

Authorities said they spent about 10 hours each night on Saturday and Sunday shutting down street takeovers "in all corners of the city."

In addition to the 19 arrests, police said 13 people received citations, and authorities towed 21 vehicles and seized seven guns as a result of the mission, officials said.

“I am beyond impressed by the work of our officers during this important mission,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said. “Street racing and street takeover events are extremely dangerous and negatively impact our neighborhoods. I remain committed to conducting additional missions that will improve safety and livability in our community.”

"This weekend I joined PPB on their New Year's Eve street racing mission and saw firsthand just how dangerous and disruptive street racing and street takeover events are to businesses, pedestrians, and other traffic,” Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt added.

Schmidt explained that under a new Oregon law, people involved in street racing or street takeovers can lose their vehicle.

“While these events can be very challenging from a law enforcement perspective, the missions resulted in a good number of arrests and many vehicles being taken off the street. Even further, with the passage of SB 615 -- a law that my office worked on and that I supported -- we will now be able to use criminal forfeiture of these vehicles as part of the prosecution process. The message is clear: If you engage in illegal street racing and street takeovers, you will face criminal penalties, including the permanent loss of your car."

PPB said they are planning more missions in the future to prevent street takeovers, which the agency says, can lead to shootings, crashes, and other criminal activity.