PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — A “massively successful” car theft task force is now “on the chopping block” due to budget cuts, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office says.
Multnomah County DA Nathan Vasquez said the program goes after the most prolific car thieves and often finds drugs, guns and links to other crimes. The DA credits the task force with Portland seeing plummeting car thefts in the past three years. However, he says it is now at risk of shutting down because of budget cuts proposed by the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.
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“It’s breathtaking to have your car taken away from you. You are away from home, and all of a sudden you see your car passing by, and you say, what?” recalled Noble Napoleon, a car theft victim who was able to get her vehicle returned thanks in part to the task force’s efforts.
At almost 80 years old, Napoleon said she tracked down the man who used a tow truck to steal her car from her in December 2023, forcing him to drop it off back at her home. “It just hurts. But when you get it back where it belongs, you have relief,” Napoleon said.
Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Cody Linderholm is the head of the auto theft task force. He said the DA’s office was already investigating Joseph Allen Beard for stealing cars to sell for scraps, partnering with Napoleon to convict him in 2024…