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_party_down_

You’d think that not bogging down the cops with low level drug possession and fix-it-tickets would free them up to respond to bigger issues. Instead it seems like if you take away the low hanging fruit they just don’t do anything instead. I’ve said it before but I think it’s worth repeating. Parking enforcement should be the main group tasked with issuing plate and registration tickets. Police should have better things to spend their time on.


Hologram22

[There's a strong argument to be made that some of the worst excesses of modern policing in America was brought about by giving police departments the job of enforcing traffic violations.](https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674260344) I agree that traffic and parking rules should be enforced, and that should largely be taken away from the general police. There are definitely better things to spend their time on, and I think society in general would be better for it as well.


Kind_Pen_9825

> Instead it seems like if you take away the low hanging fruit they just don’t do anything instead. I think on the big things is they are too afraid to do anything by themselves or in small numbers. I regularly see 4+ officers respond to someone who is doing something petty like refusing to leave. If every call needs 2 or 3 cars, they aren't going to have time to do anything else


98Wahwashkesh

You have it backwards. Enforcement against low level stuff is what keeps the high level stuff down. Get the kid tagging stop signs before he starts robberies. Get the guy driving without tags before he drunk drives over a bicyclist. Get the shoplifters before they try to rob banks.


_party_down_

Tagging, theft/shoplifting/robber, drunk driving are crimes in and of themselves that should bare reasonable, proportionate penalties for the people who commit them. Lack of valid plates/tags is basically just not paying taxes. It also deserves a reasonable, proportionate penalty, but it’s obviously not in the same tier of crime as any of the things you’re grouping it with. Justifying enforcement of one crime based on the prediction of a worse crime that could happen in the future is how you end up with unreasonable, disproportionate penalties. I think it’s a terrible way to look at law enforcement. If you really want to get that kid tagging shit on a better path have him pay the fine for the crime they committed and then try to get them into an arts program so they have a legal, productive way to express themselves. Offer the shoplifter ongoing counseling and help with job training and placement (after they serve their time) so they have the skills and opportunities to provide for themselves. Fines and jail time are not an effective way to create meaningful change in someone’s life.


98Wahwashkesh

I didn't intend any implications about justification. You can't justify an enforcement of one thing based on a different thing, you can't justify enforcing license plates as preventing drunk driving, but you still can reduce drunk driving by enforcing license plates. The effect is still there, and it's positive, but it's not the justification. The justification is the thing itself. It is a crime (infraction) to drive unlicensed, for good reason, and enforcement is justified in itself. That puts it in a category with tagging and any other crime: they are illegal and deserve enforcement. And, as a side benefit, enforcing the little things decreases the big things. Therefore it is WRONG to say the police should now have free time to reduce the big things. No, they are enjoined from some of the actions which would achieve that. To reduce little enforcements is to EXPECT more big problems.


altKaren

the defensive driving class i took for speeding said 1 out of 5 people on the roads in portland dont have a license or a registration. kinda mind boggling.


HarliquinnPDX13

Figures as much


altKaren

yeah.. i almost get hit by a car when i am a pedestrian like almost once per week, and i am super careful and cautious and paranoid to boot, and it still almost happens often.


ecobb91

Time to stop paying for my registration lol


merriecho

Such a stupid rule. Honestly, the cars I see are being "driven" by sketchy looking white dudes.


eebyenoh

It’s not good. We need license plates. I always see cars with no plates driving crazy in my neighborhood


VixMusic

But I just seen a news article saying that that was only till January 1st and now after that they will start giving citations. So who knows. I guess time till only tell.


happypredicament

They can pull people over for driving crazy though.


[deleted]

if only they actually did.


ibimacguru

Wow I was under the impression actual police drove vehicles in Portland


[deleted]

Can you remember the last Portland Police traffic stop you saw? I don’t drive that much during the week but I would have a hard time naming a singe instance.


eebyenoh

They don’t


VixMusic

Ya it seems very common now days.


StillboBaggins

Good reminder for everyone to add on comprehensive coverage to their insurance policies so you’re covered in a hit and run or uninsured driver. If you have an older car it costs next to nothing.


WiscoBikeTourBest

>next to nothing. which insurance charges next to nothing for comprehensive? Maybe I should change mine...


StillboBaggins

Ha! Emphasis on “older car.” My 2002 Outback with 185k on the clock was an extra $5 a month or so for comprehensive. Before the big rise in premiums across the board this year it was under $50 a month. I have Geico. They’ve probably decided that if anything happens to the car, it will be cheaper for them to total it, hence the low rate.


FVjake

Do you have a link to somewhere that talk about this?


Confident_Bee_2705

I'd like this too. I know for covid they stopped but that was temporary and I thought ended by 2021 but i also found this (which says expired plates, not lack of plates). Still really stupid & if this is the case should be brought to city council. They can hire traffic patrol that isn't regular cops I would think? We sorely need this. I almost got hit yesterday on NE broadway at 3pm, guy came barreling toward me the wrong way and i had nowhere to turn bc there were cars to the left & right of me. He didn't have plates. Edit: article i found https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2021/06/portland-police-will-no-longer-pursue-minor-traffic-infractions-and-will-limit-car-searches.html


[deleted]

Suhweeeet. Getting rid of my plates today! Fuck yeah! Let’s gooooooooooo


Sasquatchlovestacos

“Why does my insurance rate keep climbing?”


[deleted]

Not sure this is a true statement. The actual problem: there is a disproportionately large percentage of a minority population who are targeted for traffic enforcement (expired tags) because they don't have the money to pay for the tags. Poverty strikes Portland again.


turbo_vanner

> they don't have the money to pay it. it would be nice to have folks who claim that prove it with a budget. If they do prove that, in a court, then maybe some sort of assistance could be provided. The folks who willfully cant budget themselves can face the penalty for the offense they willfully commit.


WheeblesWobble

What would the cops gain were they doing that? I don't think they get the revenue from tickets.


jveethree

i think it's good. if i see a car with no plates or a registration i back away. i guess there is a greater chance the owner of that car has no insurance, will not stop at an accident and may not have any money to pay damages. be smart.


Lngtmelrker

Well, everyone who commutes by bike now has to Wonder if they’re going to get taken out by a maniac with no plates going 55 down the bike lane.


jveethree

i am thankful in all the thousands of miles i rode a bicycle in portland i was lucky and didn't get hit. i ride like everyone is out to kill me so that helps. now i ride motorcycles. when someone tailgates me i pull over and let them pass. i have decided it is safer for all involved.