The first step of the criminal justice system is to report the crime to the police. You can report a crime even if it happened years ago. To contact the police in an emergency call or text 911. For non-emergencies call 503-823-3333. The police may respond to your location or call you to ask questions about the crime. The time it takes for police to respond can vary greatly. In non-emergency situations, it may take hours before police respond to your call. Some non-emergency crimes can be reported online. To learn more about reporting a crime online, visit the police website for the area where the crime happened.
Police response often results in a written police report about the incident. A police report is required for your case to move forward in the criminal justice system. An officer will usually give you a business card with the incident number if they plan to write a police report. They may also give you a handout containing information about your legal rights as a victim.
Tip for victims: You will need the incident number to get updates or information about the police’s investigation. When talking with the police officer, you can ask for the incident number, if a police report will be written and what the next steps will be.
What happens after an incident is reported to the police?
Police will investigate the incident to try and find out what happened and if a crime occurred. The investigation may resolve in one of the following ways:
- The police immediately find enough evidence that the offender committed a crime. The offender may or may not be arrested. The police may give the offender a criminal citation instead of taking them to jail. Police will forward the case to the District Attorney’s Office for review
- The police decide that additional evidence is needed to find if a crime occurred or to figure out who committed the crime. The case may be given to a specific unit within the police agency for review and investigation. The investigation may take weeks, months, or years depending on the evidence and the police agency’s resources. The offender may or may not be arrested. If police find that a crime occurred, they will forward the case to the District Attorney’s Office for review
- The police find that no crime occurred. They may or may not write a police report. The case is closed and is not forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
Will the offender be arrested?
An offender may not be arrested right away. If the offender is arrested and taken to jail, they might not be held in jail. An offender may also get a criminal citation instead of being taken to jail. Decisions to arrest someone and to hold them in jail depend on many factors. You can ask the police for information about why an arrest did or did not happen in your case. Sign up to receive notice when an offender is released from jail or prison by registering with VISOR.
What happens if the offender is arrested?
When an offender is arrested in Multnomah County they are taken to a jail in downtown Portland called the Multnomah County Detention Center. The offender will go through an intake process at the jail and may be:
- Immediately released from jail. This is called Release on recognizance
- Held in jail until their arraignment hearing. Most arraignments are at the Justice Center on the business day after the offender is arrested. The Justice Center is located at 1120 SW 3rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97204
Tip for victims: You can check if an offender is in jail in Multnomah County online or by calling 503-988-3689. Sign up to receive notice when an offender is released from jail or prison by registering with VISOR.
Who do I contact for information?
The police may not automatically give you updates about your case. You can call the police agency that took your report for an update on the investigation. If you received a business card with an incident number, the police agency and phone number will be on the card. If you do not know which police agency you reported to, contact the District Attorney’s Office at 503-988-3222. Police agencies in Multnomah County are listed below. Click on the title of the police agency to view their website.
Portland Police Bureau: Portland area.
If you don’t know which precinct responded, call 503-823-0097.
503-823-0097 for the Central Precinct
503-988-4800 for the East Precinct
503-988-5700 for the North Precinct
Gresham Police Department: Gresham area.
503-618-2318
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office: Fairview, Maywood Park, Troutdale, Wood Village, and areas of Lake Oswego and Milwaukie within Multnomah County.
503-988-7300 x 0
Port of Portland: Portland International Airport and surrounding area.
503-460-4747
Portland State University Police: Portland State University campus.
503-725-4407
Oregon Health & Science University: Oregon Health & Science University campus.
503-494-7744
Oregon State Police
503-731-3020
Glossary of terms
The collection of county and state agencies that work together to enforce laws and hold people responsible for breaking Oregon’s laws. These agencies can include: local police, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Oregon Courts, Oregon Department of Community Justice, Oregon Board of Parole, and Multnomah County Department of Community Justice or other community supervision agencies. Back to content.
An active threat to someone's life or property. Back to content.
There is no urgent risk to anyone’s safety or property. A few examples of non-emergency situations include: a crime that happened last week, a violation of a restraining order that happened yesterday or a stolen car. Back to content.
If the police are dispatched to respond to an incident then that incident receives a unique number. This number can be used to locate the 911 or non-emergency call and information about the police response to the incident. If a police report is written, the incident number is used to reference the police report. The incident number is the same thing as a police case number or police report number. Back to content.
Oregon law defines a victim as any person the court or an attorney from the District Attorney’s Office finds has experienced financial, mental, or physical harm as a result of a crime. The victim of the crime may also be a witness in the case. If the victim is under the age of 18, the victim’s parent or legal guardian may also be considered victims. Back to content.
Police try to find information and evidence about what happened. This may include interviewing victims, offenders, and witnesses and documenting or recording what they say. This could also include collecting evidence such as photos, recordings, text messages, weapons, records or other items. Back to content.
Information that helps prove or disprove that an offender committed a crime. This may include the police collecting items such as pictures, recordings, text messages, weapons, records or interviews with the offender, victims, or witnesses. Back to content.
A small form given to the offender by police that requires the offender to attend court to address a crime. The citation will list the date and time of the offender’s court hearing. If the offender fails to attend the court hearing, a warrant for their arrest will be issued by the courts. Back to content.
The offender is released from jail and has been asked to sign a release agreement where they agree to obey all laws and to come to future court hearings for their case. Depending on the crime, the agreement may also include no contact with the victim. Back to content.
A hearing where the offender is notified by the judge that they are being charged with a crime. The offender is asked to enter their plea to the charges. It is most common to enter a plea of "not guilty." If the offender was arrested for the crime and is still in jail, the judge will make a decision regarding the potential for their release. The judge could choose to release them with no conditions, some conditions, or only if they pay bail. In some violent cases, the judge may deny the offender's release. You have the right to make a statement at this hearing. Your statement can include concerns about your safety and conditions you want the judge to order. Back to content.
Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM except on court closures or holidays. Back to content.
This page was produced by Multnomah County under grant number 15POVC-21-GK-01091-NONF, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.