Cloumbia Gorge crime (Portland: insurance, work, move)

[PNWhike]

AS a frequent outdoor enthusiast in The Columbia Gorge, I become concerned when I hear about the rising vioent crime that has been occuring with greater frequency.According to Oregon Live, two days ago, at the Womens Forum Rest Area near Corbett a couple enjoying the view were held up at gunpoint, kidnapped, robbed, and forced to drive their captor to Portland and dropped off in Sutheast Portland. Fortunately they were unharmed. According to the Oregonian, last month a couple was at Crown Point enjoying the beauty when they were forced out of their car at gunpoint tied up, robbed, and had their car taken from them. There have been four such incidents in The Gorge in the last two months. This is alarming because this is such a beautiful area. It seems that with our exponential population growth in Oregon these types of crimes are more commonplace. It still won't stop me from enjoying The Columbia Gorge because it is so special.

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by PNWhike

AS a frequent outdoor enthusiast in The Columbia Gorge, I become concerned when I hear about the rising vioent crime that has been occuring with greater frequency.According to Oregon Live, two days ago, at the Womens Forum Rest Area near Corbett a couple enjoying the view were held up at gunpoint, kidnapped, robbed, and forced to drive their captor to Portland and dropped off in Sutheast Portland. Fortunately they were unharmed. According to the Oregonian, last month a couple was at Crown Point enjoying the beauty when they were forced out of their car at gunpoint tied up, robbed, and had their car taken from them. There have been four such incidents in The Gorge in the last two months. This is alarming because this is such a beautiful area. It seems that with our exponential population growth in Oregon these types of crimes are more commonplace. It still won't stop me from enjoying The Columbia Gorge because it is so special.

Yes, I read about stuff like that from smaller towns too, even in other states.

That's from the news media as a source - right?

Their success is based upon presenting negatives, and they always seem to dig-up the worst.

No crime is good, but one incident every 2 weeks among that much active population does not seem very alarming.

[Busch71]

Just think, if those victims out there had a concealed carry permit and a were carrying they might not have ended up as victims. I rarely go anywhere without mine and hopefully I'll never need to use it. It's like insurance, you have it but you hope you never need to use it. There's just too many methheads and criminals in this area.

[oldtintype]

Oh yeah, it would be great if everyone out there was packin' at all times.

[Busch71]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Oh yeah, it would be great if everyone out there was packin' at all times.

As long as they have a proper concealed carry permit I have absolutely zero problem with it. The general population commits 840% more homicides than gunowners with concealed carry permits. In fact you're nearly 9000 times more likely to be killed by a doctor than you are by a concealed carry permit holder.

[Brent85]

When I was there in 2006, I saw two people climbing a electrical pole near a railway. It looked like they were cutting the wires, it was so weird, because they kept looking behind them to see if anyone was coming.

[tahoma14410]

As a Texan contemplating a move to PDX or SEA, I will definitely be transferring my concealed weapons permit to the equivalent permit in OR or WA. Criminals will think twice about committing crimes against people if they're not sure who's carrying and who's not.

[Leisesturm]

Handguns make vastly better 'offensive' weapons than they do defensive ones. By the time you realize you are in trouble it is way too late to do anything with a properly secured firearm other than make a real mess out of an already bad situation. I have yet to hear of anyone who actually used a handgun successfully from a defensive posture except maybe against a real incompetent or against someone who wasn't armed in which case defensive weapons like tear gas or stun guns or martial arts training probably would work just as well.

H

[John Smart]

Its not going to keep me away from the Gorge either. Packing is not an option for my family. This is a good reminder for common sense and to stay aware, no place is 100% safe. I remember a couple years ago a rash of crime on the coast at the isolated areas and I think a park ranger was killed. Its very sad.