Oregon City Monitors Specific Crime Trends

The end result for the average citizen of Oregon City is that the chance of being a victim of crime was less in 2006 than in any of the years since 1996.

Chief of Police of Oregon City Gordon Huiras Source: Oregon City Police

(OREGON CITY ) - On the evening of November 7th, the Chief of Police of Oregon City Gordon Huiras, presented the City Commission with an examination of the nature and extent of crime in Oregon City and the ten-year trend from 1996 – 2005. Chief Huiras advised that for a number of decades, and certainly through the 1970's, 80's, and 90's, Oregon City generally suffered some of the highest crime rates when compared with similar sized cities in Clackamas County and throughout the State. In the late 1990's the city began to see some improvement in this crime rate and for the past ten years that improvement has continued.

"A key point to remember about crime rates is that while the actual number of criminal offenses may remain static, or increase from one year to the next, generally the population increases as well. This means that the number of criminal offenses in a jurisdiction may be higher in 2005 than in 1996, but with the increase in population, the actual rate of crime per 1000 population can be less."

He says this is what might be expected in Oregon City, which has seen a continuing increase in population, from 20,410 in 1996 to 28,965 in 2005.

Huiras says that it is particularly noteworthy that while we have had a significant increase in population, we have also experienced a dramatic decrease in the actual number of annual criminal offenses from 1996 to the present.

"It is also important to consider whether the decline in reported crime is a result of a change in reporting practices of our citizens and their attitude toward crime."

He added that since the year 2000, calls for service to the police department have ranged from 23,850 to 28,369, with the seven-year average of 26,448 calls.

"There were 26,997 calls for service in 2006. So even with the large decrease in crime, calls for service have not decreased."

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The end result for the average citizen of Oregon City is that the chance of being a victim of crime was less in 2006 than in any of the years since 1996, he added.

Huiras advised that after looking at where we have been, it is important to look at today and identify the current and future issues which will affect the occurrence of crime, the safety of the community, and the delivery of police service to the community.

"As Oregon City's population grows and the demographics change there will be a need for more police to respond to the increased calls for service. Currently the Oregon City Police Department has inadequate staffing levels placing officers at risk when responding to emergencies, inadequate police facilities and no capacity to handle unusual events." he said.

He says that our community has experienced a period of decreasing levels of crime, but it is incumbent upon us all to anticipate the plan for the inevitable reversal of this trend.

Mayor Alice Norris noted that Chief Huiras' report was enlightening. Mayor Norris said, "I believe that a majority of Oregon City citizens feel safe in their neighborhoods, but as a growing and evolving community it is important that we are always planning for our future."

Source: Oregon City Police