Prospective law breakers who think the “Stay Home, Save Lives” era would be the perfect time for a crime spree may want to rethink that plan. Uniformed patrol by Canby police officers continues throughout the city, 24-7, and that includes the arrests of several would-be thieves this week.
The first bust was during the early morning hours of Monday, March 30, when officers reportedly intercepted five suspects who were in the act of stealing valuables from unlocked cars. The arrests were made by two uniformed officers on duty, according to Canby Police Chief Bret Smith.
“The thieves had easy access to valuable items such as a women’s Gucci purse, bank card, personal identification and even a handgun,” Chief Smith said. “As a result of the arrest of these subjects, all stolen property was recovered.”
Two adults were arrested in this bust, Chief Smith said, along with three juveniles. The adults were 28-year-old Richard Kadeem Harris Jones, of Portland, and 18-year-old Xavier Emmanuelle Harris, of Gresham.
Both were issued citations for first- and second-degree theft and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle. Jones received an additional charge for felon in possession of a firearm.
Two Portland-area male youths, age 14 and 17, were also taken into custody and transported to juvenile facilities, along with another 17-year-old male whose city of residence was unknown
Another bust was made early on April 1, as two Canby officers, with the assistance of the Oregon City Police Department, identified a stolen vehicle from the Portland area. The vehicle was recovered, and two suspects were taken into custody.
Taken into custody were 30-year-old Katie Burns, of Wilsonville, and 26-year-old Jordan Jacobs, who was described as a transient from the Wilsonville area.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected virtually all aspects of our daily lives, and that includes the work of Canby’s finest. Chief Smith says officers are being more judicious about responding to non-emergency calls in person, and taking reports over the phone whenever possible.
Officers are not wearing masks or other personal protective equipment (PPE) during routine patrol or when making contact with people who are non-symptomatic. For calls that require medical assistance, Canby police will be deferring to the primary medical personnel on scene (typically, Canby Fire), who are now required to don full PPE on all medical calls.
On Twitter, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office recently shared the story of a traffic stop where a man who had allegedly stolen some beer from a local store told the deputy who arrested him: “With this whole virus thing, I thought you weren’t doing any policing.”
Unfortunately for him, crime is still illegal in Washington County, and the same applies for Canby, according to Chief Smith.
“While members of the police department are doing their best to remain healthy so we can provide a police presence and respond to emergency calls for service, by no means are our police officers disengaged,” he said. “While it is unfortunate that in times of crisis, such as this COVID-19 pandemic, people will take the opportunity for personal gain, I am proud of our members’ commitment to serve our community.
“They are being proactive and keeping our community safe with their willingness to engage suspects who are committing crimes.”
