Portland police are warning of a large street takeover event this weekend, the latest in the city’s ongoing struggle to quash the many and deadly street races that take place.
Portland Police Bureau said at a press conference Thursday that they anticipate racers from across the Pacific Northwest will flock to Portland this weekend as part of a region-wide street racing event, dubbed the “West Coast Invitational.”
It’s a repeat of a similar event that occurred last year, where more than 1,000 people attended.
Portland Police Bureau Chief Bob Day (right) addresses the media on Aug. 1, 2024 about an upcoming illegal street racing event this weekend. Local police have tried to counter a rise in illegal street takeovers in recent years.
Joni Land / OPB
The event comes as Portland attempts to eliminate illegal street racing, which has brought concerns from local businesses, residents and local officials about potential dangers.
At the press conference, officials from PPB and other local police departments warned drivers to be aware of possible racing throughout the weekend — and that those wanting to participate or spectate should stay away.
“These events are dangerous,” PPB Lt. Chadd Stensgaard said. “These are young, inexperienced drivers coming with high-powered cars. They bring guns to these events.”
Stensgaard did not say specifically where the race might happen, but said the areas around Marine Drive in Northeast Portland have been popular spots in the past. He said they will have enough officers on patrol “for whatever happens.”
For years, Portland has seen street takeovers across the city. Typically, those involved will shut down an intersection as cars pull off dangerous maneuvers by spinning around in circles, all as spectators stand and watch. Traffic can be jammed for miles as drivers perform burnouts in the middle of intersections.
Nationally, street racing has soared in popularity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as empty freeways provided a better opportunity for racing in public.
The dangerous races have led to injuries and even deaths in the past.
A car on fire after a two-vehicle crash, determined to be a result of street racing, resulted in the death of one of the drivers in North Portland on Feb. 18, 2023.
Portland Police Bureau
The family of one victim, Ashlee McGill, filed a $15 million lawsuit against the city and other local agencies in July. A street racer killed McGill in 2022 while she waited at a bus stop on Southeast 133rd and Stark.
The city has made multiple attempts in past years to crack down on street racing. The Portland City Council passed an ordinance in 2021 increasing penalties for those who take part in street takeover events, including a $500 fine and possible jail time.
Stensgaard said the ability to tow a violator’s vehicle and seize it as asset forfeiture, whereby police take legal possession of the vehicle, has been effective for curbing street racing.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek also signed Senate Bill 615 in 2023, which greatly increased the punishments for street racing statewide. Those convicted of street racing more than once could receive a five-year prison sentence and a $125,000 fine.
But it’s unclear how effective those penalties have been at discouraging street racing. PPB officials could not immediately provide figures to support whether the crime has increased or not in recent years.
PPB Communications Officer Kevin Allen said in an email to OPB that tracking that type of data is far from straightforward.
“We’ve found it challenging to reliably track street takeover events, as they happen in different precincts on different days and times, and frankly we do not have the resources to respond to all of them,” Allen said.
PPB Chief Bob Day said law enforcement having a presence at these events — in addition to the threat of drivers losing their vehicles — is enough to convince some drivers to stay home.
“The appearance that this is happening unchecked is unacceptable,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important we be out there.”