Crime numbers in Bend for 2025 are so far similar to those reported in 2024, with the exception of crimes against property, which are down 20 percent from last year, according to a quarterly report from Bend Police Department. 

Sheila Miller, spokesperson for the Bend Police Department, said the department doesn’t know why the drop occurred, but crime analysts are investigating what factors may have contributed.

Crimes against property include violations such as vandalism (150 instances in between Jan. 1 and March 31), shoplifting (149), and all other larceny (126). Over the past five years, crimes against property reached a high 2022, with 1,243 dispatches in the first quarter in contrast to this year’s 844.

Other 2025 crime data 

The Bend Police Department report lists top crimes in two additional categories: crimes against people and crimes against society. The highest crime numbers belong to intimidation (168 reported so far in 2025), vandalism, shoplifting and driving under the influence of intoxicants (131). The crimes with the lowest numbers, but that are still in the top five of each category are reckless endangerment (33) and restraining order violations (35). 

The report also parses out Oregon-specific offenses. So far in 2025, Bend Police have arrested 196 people with an active Oregon warrant.

Police also responded to 137 hit-and-run crashes. 

Overall, the total number of calls for service in the first quarter of 2025 (17,841) is slightly higher than the average since 2021 (17,592). The most common reasons for community members to call the Bend Police Department include suspicious circumstances (613) and unwanted subjects (602) whereas the top reasons for a 911 call are domestic dispute (235), suspicious circumstances (170) and traffic complaints (150).

Community initiatives

In mid-March, the Bend Police Department participated in a three-day multiagency traffic enforcement initiative. Over three days, 36 officers targeted high-traffic areas across Bend, Redmond, Sunriver and rural Deschutes County. The operation resulted in 380 traffic stops and more than 170 citations, mostly for speeding; 17 drivers were found without a license and officers recovered a stolen motorcycle.

“We know that traffic enforcement is a high priority for our community, and working together with other agencies allows us to really flood the zone and make a big impact. We hope that the multiagency traffic detail served as a reminder of the importance of driving responsibly on our roads,” said Miller.

Another initiative the Bend Police Department began this year is the Connect Bend program, a community registry that aims to leverage privately owned security cameras. The program creates an internal, interactive map for officers that shows owner-registered cameras, such as front door cameras, giving officers new resources to obtain video footage during investigations.

Since the Bend Police Department introduced the initiative, more than 450 residents have voluntarily signed up. Miller says that officers have already used the camera network in an incident where someone in crisis walked away from the hospital and to investigate a series of car break-ins.

The next quarterly report from the Bend Police Department will be released on June 30.