Hoodlums. Has Ernie replaced Elmo?

Over the past week, Portland police officers and detectives have arrested four different suspects in four separate stabbing cases. All across town, all unrelated. But this shouldn’t surprise you.

It seems like stabbing has become the assault crime of choice over the summer. Remember Mr. Stabbing Things and the stabbed gentleman’s club attendee? It’s too early to tell if this has a direct correlation with Mayor Sam Adam’s recent adoption of gun control laws, but its an interesting idea. According to the Portland Police Bureau, there hasn’t been an obvious uptick in stabbings over the summer, despite this last week’s trend. But with police cracking down more heavily on gun-toters, it’s a possibility that the past gun-related assault cases could be replaced with knives. Let’s hope not.

Update: Another stabbing just happened Sunday (Aug. 28) at a MAX station. What’s the deal?

Alex Zielinski is a former News Editor for the Portland Mercury. She's here to tell stories about economic inequities, cops, civil rights, and weird city politics that you should probably be paying attention...

6 replies on “Knives: the New Guns?”

  2. People fear knives more than guns. So when you don’t have to worry about being shot Mr. Stabby is a great persuader. This will be a greater danger for the police since bullet resistant vest cut nicely.

    Wait until we get like the UK where the weapon of choice is a heavy broken pint glass.

  3. @frankieb – What was he arguing about?

    @Rosy – I think most police-issued vests have steel plates inserted to catch knives. The coverage isn’t as full as the bulletproof kevlar is, but they’re there.

  4. I have no idea what his problem was – maybe getting him off the track? I just remember thinking this guy gets up in the morning for a fun day of Derby races and decides for whatever reason to bring a knife with him.
    ?

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