Residents of Portland Take Matters Into Their Own Hands in the Search for Stolen Vehicles

KPTV-TV, Portland, Oregon A Portland woman has begun her own mission to curb the city’s rampant auto theft epidemic.

She estimates that over the past year, she has assisted several hundred people in Portland, Oregon, in locating their stolen vehicles.

The latest PPB statistics show that 1,789 vehicles were reported stolen in the city in January and February of 2023.

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As a result, many Facebook groups have formed to coordinate efforts to recover stolen vehicles in the Portland area. One couple was swiftly able to recover their stolen SUV with the help of PNW Stolen Cars, and FOX 12 caught up with them.

Darla Guillory and her partner had a tumultuous Thursday morning after reporting their red SUV stolen the night before.

“I tried to get to work at around 4:30 a.m., but I couldn’t because I didn’t have a car,” Guillory said. Snapped from the sidewalk in front of our home.

Several hours after posting in PNW Stolen Cars, a massive Facebook group co-run by a Portlander named Sara Jane, Guillory says she spotted the car in Northeast Portland and was able to recover it thanks to the group’s members’ efforts.

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It was found in what Guillory estimated to be 30 minutes to an hour.

Sara Jane claims that around a year ago when her area was experiencing car theft problems, she became active in trying to track down stolen vehicles.

According to Jane, she has been helping people locate a large number of automobiles over the past year, so it’s safe to assume that this is a full-time pastime for her.

“I would say, hands-on, either I’m calling it in privately, or I’m talking to the owner, or I’m driving the owner to their car, about 980,” she added.

According to Jane, the only motivation for her participation in the recovery of stolen vehicles is a genuine interest in doing so.

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She has developed such a strong rapport with a neighborhood towing service that they will travel to her location to assist in vehicle recoveries. Jane said she can’t stop giving back to the community.

“Some people crochet, they paint, that’s kind of boring to me, I like adventure,” she remarked. That’s just who I am; I’m a helpful person with a caring profession.