Police arrest 4 adults, 2 children accused of stealing airport luggage
Update, January 8: A judgement of "no complaint" was issued when all four defendants appeared for their first hearing. That means prosecutors decided not to pursue charges at this time.
Original story: PORTLAND, Ore. – Police arrested four adults and two children who they said were stealing luggage from passengers at the Portland Airport.
Port of Portland Police arrested the group of six on Saturday near the airport MAX stop.
A Portland woman, who didn’t want KATU to use her name, said the thieves stole bags that belonged to her husband and 9-year-old daughter.
“The most important thing is her doll that she’s had since she was a baby and she slept with it every single night,” she said.
Clothes and brand new Christmas gifts were alongside the doll in those bags.
“I was mad. I was really mad, really frustrated.”
The woman said she’ll never check a bag again, and is frustrated the airlines don’t do more to protect passengers’ belongings.
“When I talked to the baggage claim people, they said it’s a known problem with people on the MAX. People come in on the MAX, steal bags and go back out on the MAX,” she said.
Police said the suspects are tied to several luggage thefts. The four adults face charges of theft, conspiracy and endangering welfare of a minor. They’ve been ordered to stay away from the airport for 90 days.
It’s unclear if any of the stolen property has been recovered.
Port of Portland Police said thieves steal about 12 bags per month.
The woman says even one baggage theft is too many.
“You have to practically disrobe to get on a flight now, and I expect the same kind of high level of security for my belongings.”
This picture is like a billboard for Faces of Meth.
Scum pure scum. Just look at these clowns, they look like the scum that they are. Wonder how much room they have in the trailer for these stolen suitcases. White trash ignorant, toothless, morons.
...And they let all these scumbags go, just like that! No charges for any of them, after this morning. They were using their children to take bags!!! ROACHES.
It is extremely easly to get into a line at the check out rounder pick up a bag or rwo and leave.  No one knows who it belongs to. Walk outside to you waiting car and puff.  The bag are gone.  NO protection what so ever. Less than 3o seconds while the real owner is at the head of the escolator heading  down.  It
certainly isn't just max.
No beauty contest winners
Low life white trash!
Agreed, you got to love the Airport security. I feel so safe.
âWhen I talked to the baggage claim people, they said itâs a known problem with people on the MAX. People come in on the MAX, steal bags and go back out on the MAX,â she said.
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CRIME TRAIN!!!
that's why i always rig my checked bags with bombs that will explode if someone opens them the wrong way
The Queen of Hearts says, "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!"
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Seem that there would be a better solution to keeping track of which luggage
belongs to whom. RFID tags perhaps?
I've been through many airports that check your luggage against your baggage claim tags.
While it slows things down, it is worth the time. Â Their is no excuse for allowing people to come in on the Max to steal bags, especially if Port Authority acknowledges the problem. Â They seem to take it all in stride and accept the losses instead of stopping the problem. Â Getting on the plane requires every check short of a DNA test.
Why can't similar measures be taken when leaving the baggage area?
If it's not secure, then secure it for Pete's sake!
And of course these aren't the first criminals to think of this, they're just some who got caught. And there are criminals marginally less intelligent who did NOT think of this idea. I'm sure there are some of them on the MAX right now on their way to the airport to pick up their luggage. Or on their way home to go through and see what they've won. I'm sure glad this story has been well publicized!
Why don't they make the baggage claim a secure area like the arrival and departure gates? No ticket, no access. And I mean a plane ticket here, not a max ticket. :)
 @AmiM That's how in some other international airports and love it.  After you get off the plane, claim your personal bags ONLY in secure area and then you can exit to unsecure area of the airport.
Never happen to me, but I would be really mad if I had to pay to check-in the bag and it turn out missing or stolen. Something definitely needs to be changed and soon.
Interesting that the airport, and all other US airports, require you to keep your bags in your possession at all times unless checked but don't require the same vigilance of themselves and their own operations. If common thieves can steal 12 bags a month at PDX, just how safe is the checked baggage screening process? If thieves can steal bags it seems obvious that a terrorist could plant a bag, potentially with disasterous results. This is not just a theft issue. This is a major airport security breach issue.
 @I812 You are right of course, but fortunately in looking at the pictures of these scum suckers they could not organize a circle jerk. What a bunch of low life, white trash, trailer trash morons.Â
 @I812 In theory, if the bag can make it onto the aircraft through screening, it won't have an explosive device on it. Therefore, when it arrives at the destination, it won't either.Â
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Besides, once it's off the aircraft it no longer falls under the perview or liability of either the federal government or the airlines. The only people who get 'hurt' by baggage theft are the taxpayers/consumers. We don't rate very high up on the importance scale.Â
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...or, should I say, we have insufficent 'free speech' that we can use in order to 'gain access to' elected officials in order for 'consideration on pending legislative efforts'.Â
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Now, if Grover Norquist got his luggage stolen.... legislation would be penned by this weekend.Â
@MarkKpic Assuming that the thieves are only working the baggage claim area from incoming flights, it is still possible for them to approach the carousel with a fake carryon and act like a regular passenger. While this scenario would not get a dangerous bag on a plane it could cause major damage/injury/death if a bag of explosives is left in the area.
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A simple and low cost solution is for the airline to issue matching chips, one for the bag and one for the passenger, and then use an automatic electronic screener at the baggage claim gate. If the person with the bag doesn't have the matching chip an alarm goes off. Most people would probably pay a couple of dollars to have that level of security.Â
 @I812  @MarkKpic I do see your point, and agree with it.Â
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My point is that the problem comes down to dollars and cents (sense). The airlines are only concerned about the profitability of their airlines. All considerations made fall within either than perview, or within the operational rules/regulations set forth by governing bodies. They pay airport fees, and (in their eyes) that makes the baggage handling the problem (not to mention the liability) of the port.
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The government is reactionary. Up to 9/11, there was no need for a 'TSA' screening. Having the US attacked by a group of 20 religeous zelots changed that. So, they create the illusion of security by putting some GED education-level screeners at the gates to pat down 6 year olds and make senior citizens take out their teeth. In the baggage area, they have explosive sniffing dogs and x-ray machines to look through random samples of luggage because it makes it more difficult (note:not impossible) for terrorists to do 'their job'. Â They do this because their charter, their ONLY interest, is to ensure that no explosives or weapons make it on to the plane. This is because of the international and intrastate commerce oversight in place.Â
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The arriving baggage, and facility security of the local airports is up to the individual ports. While it would indeed be horrible for a bomb or explosive device to go off in the facility, it would not be the liability of either the federal government, or the airlines. It would also cost (local) money to do so. Simple cost/benefit analysis. When it comes to security issues, people are notoriously REactive, as opposed to being PROactive. Especially when there is cost involved.Â
Had my bag stolen in 2002 from the carousel with 10 days worth of clothing in it, never to be seen again. Â Took over 6 months and a LONG string of paperwork to get Delta to fork over a check. Â It's one of the worst feelings in the world -- watching everyone grab their bags and then the carousel is empty and just... stops.
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There's really nothing PDX can do the way their baggage claim area is laid out -- spread all over the place with a revolving door by each carousel. Â It'd require a major overhaul if they were to ever mandate verification of claim tickets before leaving. Â Furthermore, everyone and their mother would complain of the line to get out of the baggage claim area.
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Bottom line is the odds of getting your luggage stolen are enormously long odds -- 12 bags per month at PDX is next to nothing mathematically. Â Just never, ever keep anything that has any financial or emotional value to you in your checked baggage if you can absolutely help it.
 @Scorcho It would seem they should be a bit more diligent, since they charge for the privilege of checking bags.
 @Scorcho 20 or 30 or so years ago PDX did have a check out system with the same lay out.  They had baggage checkers check your tags to your bags before you were allowed outside the chain gate.  No work at all.  It did work fine.  A couple of checkers for each rounder.  Much safer.  It isn't rocket science to figure out how to do this.
both the airport and max have cameras. bet they have the group on camera coming into the airport max station and baggage area without bags and leaving with bags and boarding the train. in this day and age only the real DUMB people commit crime cause there is a camera recording  most places you go.
Never had anyone check anything at PDX when I get my bags, and the bags usually come out really fast which provides ample opportunity for someone to grab.
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I have had to prove it was my bag once in the US, in Las Vegas, but only once as I've been there many times. Being that it's a known problem I'd think they would have someone there at least keeping an eye on things, checking suspicious activity, and random sampling baggage claims....but no, they're only concerned with non-existent terrorists and explosives they'll never find.
 @deejm2112 Inspectors cost money. That money would cut into the profits generated by the port.Â
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In addition, inspectors would slow down the process and create yet another point where people could conceivably complain about the service they receive at the port.Â
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Insofar as the TSA and it's protocols... Security blankets are illusions. Always are, always have been. Knee-jerk governmental organizations and regulations don't do anything other than appease the masses. They cost exponential amounts of money and sacrifice freedoms under the guise of 'security'.Â
I know...I think they should remove public access to baggage claim personally.
 @deejm2112 I agree, but (unfortunately) what it comes down to in that respect is a simple cost/benefit analysis.
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Lost luggage doesn't cost the airlines or ports anything. Well, they do (on occasion) have to pay out a standardized amount ($35), if the consumer is willing to go through the paperwork maze and red tape. But, overall, it's not a net-loss problem for either.
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If they were to sequester the luggage, and hire people to inspect/retrieve baggage for consumers, it would cost them money in labor (at the least), and infrastructure upgrades.
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...of course, we could just bring the ports under the authority and operation of the government.... that would increase service AND lower cost! (sarcasm intended)Â
Baggage claim is the responsibility of the port into which you fly/rail/boat, as such it's an easy place for them to make cuts should profits not measure up. The airlines tag luggage in order to account for it during your travels, and they will allow ports to use those tags to verify luggage doesn't leave in the hands of the wrong people. PDX, needless to say, doesn't feel that the port fees assessed against your airline tickets merits any type of verification process at baggage claim.Â
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I've flown out of PDX several times over the last 20 years or so, not ONCE have I been asked to verify the bags that I'm leaving with correspond with the luggage tags I have (ready in hand) with my boarding passes. The rate of thefts has gone up in the last 5-10 years from what statistics show, so I'm left to wonder what changed?
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âWhen I talked to the baggage claim people, they said itâs a known problem with people on the MAX. People come in on the MAX, steal bags and go back out on the MAX,â she said.'
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Aaaaah, there it is.Â
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PDX, time to get your act together and put some people downstairs to actively work in the process of luggage claim.Â
 @MarkKpic I have flown into a number of airports all over the country, and the only time we've ever had to prove luggage was ours was when my husband was bumped onto another flight and his luggage arrived before he did. It was pulled at the airport and locked up and he had to show his information to prove it was his. Otherwise I've never had to prove luggage was mine or anything.
 @Jenni S. Yep. It's just another example of profit above service. There's means and a method by which ports could check luggage, but that would require the port to pay some people to inspect.Â
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Business 101. The only expense truly in control of management is labor. As such, that is the one most often sacrificed in an effort to increase the bottom line.Â
I've seen many posts blaming the Max for crime. Really? You blame the mode of transportation for crimes committed by humans? So, if they stole a car & used it, should the car be held responsible or the owner of the car? Seriously, it's ridiculous. Put the blame where the blame lies...the criminals. Are the thousands of people who use the Max all criminals? Every major city that has a mass transit system has this same problem. It's nothing new and nothing exclusive to Portland. Sadly, people seem to only see the bad about Mass Transit and not the massive good it is for people who cannot afford a car or choose not to drive. I use the Max several times a month to run errands and find it to be a great way to get around. I would prefer to drive my car but it's just too expensive for my family right now with medical bills and medications. I'm not stupid enough to drive without Insurance so the Max/Bus is our only transportation. My father, who is a senior, uses it also and we have yet to have a problem. Yes, you get some weird riders but then again...you get weird people walking down the street or driving their own cars. Same thing with criminals. They will use what is easiest to achieve their crime. Again, blame that on them not on a form of transportation. Do you blame a car for a DUI accident or do you blame the drunk?
 @Kymberlie2873 Isn't it funny that, when it comes to the MAX, people blame the MAX for crime, but when it comes to guns, it's not the tool, it's the person.....how convenient.
 @Kymberlie2873 To me, it's not that 'MAX is to blame', it's that the light rail system makes access to the airport, and egress from the airport MUCH simpler for any thieves. You use the example of a car. Cars use gas, and cost money to own. With MAX, they just step on at their neighborhood stop, and get off at the airport. Grab luggage, reverse process. Tri-Met, in it's focus on keeping board members salaries high, doesn't see the need to put fare inspectors or security on all trains going to/coming out of PDX, so it's just roulette for the criminals as to if they will get caught.Â
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So, no, MAX is not to blame for the crimes. MAX just makes the criminals life easier.Â
 @MarkKpic So take the MAX out of the equation for a moment. Then car theft goes up because a mode of transportation is needed for whatever crime and what's stealing a car to someone who already has a plan for a crime? Fact is, a criminal intent on committing a crime is going use whatever means they can, including mass transit. I'm not saying the MAX doesn't have crime but the amount of crime to the amount of good it provides is massively less. By the MAX going to the airport, it helps our citizens travel and also our tourism income. Do we lose that to stop this type of crime or do we, as you had indicated in a prior post, change the security in regards to baggage claim? I just hate it when people refer to it as the crime train...like it is responsible for crime and the criminal is just an innocent.Â
@Kymberlie2873
I do see your point, and truth be told I agree with most of your sentiment.Â
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Criminals are by their nature (well, 'blue collar' criminals anyway) lazy. They try to find the path of least resistance between them and their desired result. IE-money. My point is that MAX (as well as many other cities mass transit light rail systems) is just that. A path of least resistance.Â
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You use the example of car theft. That's a non-sequitor. Stealing the car, in and of itsself, is a crime. Cars have license plates, and they also have to put gas in the vehicle. UUMV can get them locked up. Too big of odds that they would end up in jail. Statistics tell us that most car thefts are done for parts, not in the commission of other crimes. Again, path of least resistance. Furthermore, the thieves would have to pay to part @ PDX. About the only other option is to walk, skateboard or ride a bike.... or, take MAX.Â
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If I want to go steal some luggage, or hook-up with my dealer, and it's pouring down rain or cold, there's a (speculative estimate) 1 in 10 chance that I can hop on MAX and get to my destination without any trouble whatsoever. On busses, I have to get past the driver to board, but not MAX. Literally anyone can hop on or off at any stop with a pretty slim chance of ever encountering resistance. Even if I do get caught, I get a ticket (that I'll never pay), and get kicked off (to wait for the next MAX train, which I then board because I know it's likely the inspectors are still on the previous train).
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Just look at the article, this is not my opinion or speculation, this is a direct quote from someone else...
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âWhen I talked to the baggage claim people, they said itâs a known problem with people on the MAX. People come in on the MAX, steal bags and go back out on the MAX,â
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I do see the value in mass transit systems. I also see the value in increasing security/fare inspectors in mass transit systems that are (largely) boarded using honor system. Especially when that mass transit system connects to an international airport.
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Police said the suspects are tied to several luggage thefts. The four adults face charges of theft, conspiracy and endangering welfare of a minor. Theyâve been ordered to stay away from the airport for 90 days.
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So they are back on the streets already?? No bail?? ROR??
 @disgustedman You got that right. no room at the gray bar hotel for small thieves! That is why crime is the way it is today because they don't stop them until they reach felony level. crime pays big for the cops, lawyers, judges and all the support staff to keep criminals off the street. it's a billion dollar industry in america paid by me and you through taxes and high insurance payments .
Don't work for a living. Steal from other people. Pathetic. A waste of fresh air !
Phew...at first I thought this was a story about a four-headed monster roaming the airport.
@Solipsist01 take another look at the picture, it is!
Theft of luggage is a problem at pretty much any airport regardless of whether they have a light rail system like MAX or not. As long as it's easy to just walk up and take luggage, it's going to happen. If you grab something that belongs to someone and they speak up, you just claim that you must've grabbed the wrong bag - so many of them look alike after all.
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I'm always there before the bags start coming out and position myself near where they begin so that no one is going to grab my bag(s) without me seeing them.
The TSA has an exclusive monopoly on theft at airports.
Never cross the Federal government...
P.S.
To Mlwaukie residents:
These are an example of the pukes that are coming your way soon on the MAX.
 @Mipsfer I'm more worried about the people from Milwaukie who are now going to come up to Portland from it.
It's that thar light rail that's to blame! Them librils and their light rail. People who drive are more law-abiding than people riding the light rail! And what about my taxes? What about my special burdens?
TSA to get though security, and after Sept. 11, it's passengers only. Next thing will be passengers only in the baggage claim with security at the MAX stop checking to make sure that if you have no reason to be there, you don't get in. What's next? Will you have to have checked in BEFORE you get to the airport and they'll only let passengers into the building?
 @bobcatboy1984 They do that when you fly to Europe or overseas. Baggage claim is not accessible to the general public and I think they should make it that way here.
 @deejm2112 indeed you are right. I remember visiting Europe, and I recall that you pick up your luggage then you leave the airport. I agree; if they can do it in Europe, there's no reason something similar can't be done here.
 @bobcatboy1984 Hmmm......security at the baggage claim? I actually like that idea. That would prevent a ton of thefts. Make people prove they belong there by having to show their baggage claim tickets. There was a time when they actually did have someone checking the baggage against the claim ticket that was issued when you checked your baggage. Perhaps it's time to do so again.
A luggage tracker might be a good investment.
http://www.amazon.com/Soren-Luggage-Locator-Pro-Black/dp/B0046EEP1G/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1357573266&sr=1-7&keywords=luggage+tracker+gps