And then there's the robbery/murder in Lake Oswego.

So profound. Slow day on Blue Oregon?

What can we do, we have to spend all the available money on streetcars, bike paths, condo bunkers and speed bumps to get ready for the deluge of climate refugees who will show up just as the world runs out of oil.

Thanks
JK

"Robbery detectives are looking into each case for possible connections. At this point, there is no definitive information to link the cases."

Other than all three cases have:
-three similar robberies
-three male suspects
-all between late teens to early 20s
-all African American in race
-all with one using a handgun
-all taking personal possessions no matter how small

No other definitive information to link to the crimes.

It will be interesting to see if any mainstream media outlets mention the robbers' race.

Your east coast liberalism is showing, we're progressive and color blind out here. Beyond reason...

So a good reminder also not to go out unarmed at night, seems like the same good advice throughout history.

Here's the sanitized version from the O:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/09/three_pedestrians_robbed_in_po.html

No mention of race, nor of QFC, which is probably an advertiser.

None of these robberies occurred anywhere near a MAX station.

That's true. This particular group is working neighborhoods not served by the wonderful light rail system.

We rank 7th in crime rate versus all cities (100th being the safest). See http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/or/portland/crime/

And don't kid yourself, we rank high in violent crimes. Forcible rape rate is four times higher in Portland than in New York City. In fact the only category we are lower in than NYC is murder and that is probably because our criminals have terrible aim:

http://portlandor.areaconnect.com/crime/compare.htm?c1=Portland&s1=OR&c2=NEW+YORK&s2=NY

Concealed Carry!
Or maybe open carry?

I will mention that race is not identifiable without mentioning color. A "black guy" could any shade from tan to coal black. No information on height, weight, etc. So at this point police can detain/question/shoot any black male in their late teens to their twenties because the meet the 'description'. And never mind that Pacific Islanders and other are confused for black in these scary adrenaline ridden situations.

I think it's more than problem that folks are not descriptive enough, because they certainly are not 'color-blind'.

All I know is that the local newspapers here in Reno have no problems mentioning race or ethnic identity in crime reports. And the same holds true for the TV and Radio news stories as well.

I find it interesting that at the same time our city is wanting the citizenry into doing more walking, and those "20 minute" neighborhoods, that it is becoming more dangerous to do so.

I don't want to sound all doom and gloom, but things are probably going to get worse as increasing numbers of the less advantaged or troubled are continually marginalized so that supporters of local politicians can keep chasing elitist dreams.

Mr. Grumpy, can you blame them? I want to know what is more likely: more muggers realizing that hipsters are very soft and very profitable targets, or the police receiving orders from the mayor to terminate with extreme prejudice, before the muggers scare the "creative class" back to Cul de Sacia.

The Sunnybrook Farmer is correct: A description that mentions only race, or maybe race and one other characteristic, is useless to the cops (except for the first few minutes of search) and potential victims. So it only serves to reinforce prejudice. Anyhow. do you know anyone in the Grant Park area whose alertness does not go up when they see 3 young black men coming down the street?

Robert:

Portland does not rank 7th in the US for crime. Your first clue was the metric of arbitrarily rating 100 cities.

That is a "crime index" you linked to. Using their index, with an unknown methodology, Beaverton ranks about on par with New York city. NYC is darn safe, but Beaverton is boringly safe.

I also looked at Seattle vs. Baltimore. Both ranked 4. Excuse me if I laugh at this index.

You might also want to look at "forcible rape" as a statistic. Is this statistic based on convictions, arrests, reports of of rape? I do not know, but there's little gray area in someone getting shot in the middle of the street as compared to an offense like this.

Here are big city crime ranks, you can sort by tab:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate

Niceoldguy wrote: " Anyhow. do you know anyone in the Grant Park area whose alertness does not go up when they see 3 young black men coming down the street?"

Hey, Niceoldguy, shove it! I live in Grant Park and 2 of my neighbors are Black/African American families.

Also, in case you didn't know Grant High School is pretty much the center of this neighborhood, and 22% of the 1600 students are African American. So actually, there are literally hundreds of young males of all colors Including Black around here most days but thanks very much for your opinion of Grant Park.

Your blanket slander of my neighbors and me is not called for nor is it accurate.

I too know black and white residents who live around Grant High. I used to know the neighborhood fairly well, although I hardly ever get there these days. I mean, we still miss Kienows.
I did not slander the neighborhood. I think you missed my point about the pointlessness of racial identification in crime reports.
It is, after all, hard to picture householders on US Grant Place as street criminals.But racial attitudes are in the air -- partly because of those black crime stories, partly because of people who see conspiracy in the fact The Oregonian does not use black as a "description." (And I am pretty sure that if investigators had a good reason in a particular case to ask the race of a criminal suspect be stated, the paper would consider making an exception.) And honestly, I am stunned and disappointed that Jack raised that issue.)
Even Barack Obama's beloved grandma admitted to fear of blacks in groups on the street -- not because she believed all blacks were criminals, but because she believed what the culture had taught her.

"Even Barack Obama's beloved grandma admitted to fear of blacks in groups on the street -- not because she believed all blacks were criminals, but because she believed what the culture had taught her."

Don't forget about common sense. Even Jesse Jackson said he was afraid when black males were following him on a dark street. But that was not culture that taught Jesse that.

I am stunned and disappointed that Jack raised that issue.

Do me a favor and get off your high horse. There are armed robbers walking around my neighborhood at night. The cops are telling people what they look like. That helps people know what to look out for. If three white kids walk toward me on a Sunday night, I'll at least know they're not these particular robbers. The public has a right to know that, no matter what the pompous dinosaurs at Newhouse decide is appropriate. The same would be true if they were identified as "Caucasian," Asian, Hispanic, whatever.

The O has descended to warming over press releases. The least it could do is give the whole release.

Sorry Jack. You are wrong on this one.
And the policy, by the way, was instituted by Bill Hilliard, at the time the only black editor of a large daily in the US.
Last I saw him he was antiquated, but not at the time he made the policy. At that point he was still ticked about not being allowed to share Portland's white swimming pools as a kid.

I'm sorry but I fail to see how concealing the race of a suspected criminal in any way helps the public.
I don't care if the policy was instituted but JC himeslf it's a dumb and counter productive.

Point being how many of us are now more reluctant
to walk around our neighborhoods?

It is not just The O (anymore):
Published Mar. 14, 2012 1:
On Tuesday, the AP Stylebook updated its entry on when journalists should publish information about a person’s race.

The update says that race is pertinent in stories about crime suspects who have been “sought by the police or missing person cases,” so long as “police or other credible, detailed descriptions” are used. When the suspect is found or apprehended, the update says, the racial reference should be removed.