*Please note: when we receive feedback that a person has had a negative interaction with an officer, we work to address each situation to improve customer service through training, supervision or other means.

 2023 Strategic Dashboards:

 2022 Strategic Dashboards:

 2021 Strategic Dashboards:

2020 Strategic Dashboards:

See Chief McAlpine's statement as part of the Law Enforcement Council of Washington County. (January 2023)

Long before there were calls across the nation for changes to police policies and practices, the Tigard Police Department took progressive steps under the leadership of Chief Kathy McAlpine, who took over the department in April 2017.

Some of these steps include:

• Meeting 7 out of 8 recommendations in the #8CantWait campaign, a grassroots effort focused on police reform, which is described in the grid below.
  • Develop a Force Continuum is a recommendation not met by the department because it is no longer considered best practice. The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training removed this training in 2009. The Police Executive Research Forum and legal advisors do not support this practice.
  • Instead, Tigard Police follows use of force guidelines set forth in the Supreme Court case Graham v. Connor, which requires any use of force to be reasonable and necessary.
  • Although the carotid chokehold was removed from the department's use of force policies in November 2018, language explicitly banning its use was added to our policies in June 2020.
• Providing several officers with additional training in crisis intervention and de-escalation.
• Using body-worn cameras for our K-9 handlers, motor officers, School Resource Officers, Community Service Officers and the Traffic Sergeant, in addition to using in-car dash cameras in our patrol vehicles.
• Providing opportunities for members of the community to connect with and ask questions of police leadership, including in-person Coffee with a Cop events and virtual Chat with the Chief events on Facebook live.

How Tigard Police Measure Up to the 8CantWait Campaign

Campaign Request	Tigard Police Policy	Additional Comments
Require officers to de-escalate situations	Policy 300.3 Use of Force Graham v. Connor applied	De-escalation tactics are a component in all training
Prohibit officers to choke or strangle civilians	Policy 300.3.4 Carotid Control Hold not authorized Policy 300.1 Use of Force Purpose and Scope Policy 300.4 Deadly Force	Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint or “carotid artery hold” was removed from our policies in Nov. 2018. A new policy was added specifically banning its use.
Require officers to intervene and report immediately	Policy 300.2.1 Duty to Intercede Policy 340.1.2 Standards of Conduct	Also covered in Police Academy, reinforced in training and Daily Training Bulletins
Restrict officers from shooting at moving vehicles	Policy 300.4.1 Shooting at or from a moving vehicle	Prohibited unless no other options, immediate/imminent threat to life
Develop a force continuum	None, although Graham v Connor standards apply for the “reasonable and necessary” requirements for the Use of Force.	Oregon DPSST removed this from training circa 2009. Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) recommends not using this. Legal advisors do not support this either.
Request officers to exhaust all other reasonable means before resorting to deadly force	Policy 300.3.2 Factors Used to Determine the Reasonableness of Force Policy 300.4 Deadly Force Application Graham v Connor applied	Our approach to force response is more in line with the concept of Constitutional Policing
Require officers to give a verbal warning	Policy 300.4(b) Fleeing Subject Policy 309.4 Verbal and Visual Warnings	We train to give verbal warnings in all training disciplines. The standard is to give a verbal warning seeking compliance, if time and circumstances allow, before using force
Require officers to report the use of force, notification to supervisor	Policy 300.5.1 Reporting the Use of Force, Notification to Supervisor	All uses of force are reported and reviewed by the Chief of Police. Deadly force is reported to the FBI and the State via the District Attorneys (SB1111)

In light of community concerns, the Tigard Police Department took a number of additional actions following the death of George Floyd that included countless in-person, email and phone communications with community members expressing their concerns, questions and/or praise for the department through these months.

Official Statements by Tigard Police Chief Kathy McAlpine

• Joint statement with metro-area Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs condemning condemning the actions of the officers in Minneapolis dated May 28, 2020
• Chief McAlpine issued this video statement on June 4, 2020.
• Chief McAlpine shared this letter with the community on June 30, 2020.
• Following the guilty verdict of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin, Chief McAlpine issued this joint statement with Washington County Police Chiefs and Sheriff on April 20, 2021.

FAQs Developed

• The police department put together a list of frequently asked questions and answers on topics like body cameras, use of force policies, training, demographics of the department, how often Tigard Police use force and much more.
  • FAQs
• Although the carotid chokehold was removed from the department's use of force policies in November 2018, language explicitly banning its use was added to our policies in June 2020.

Virtual Community Meetings addressing neighbors' questions about our department, policy and procedures:

• Mayor Snider and Chief McAlpine chat on June 8, 2020
• Mayor Snider and Chief McAlpine chat on June 15, 2020
• City Councilors Lueb and Newton and Tigard Police Commander McDonald chat on June 22, 2020
• On July 1, 2020, Chief McAlpine held an hour-long virtual Chat with the Chief on Facebook live
• Police Commander Jamey McDonald joined Mayor Snider for an hour-long live virtual Facebook chat on July 9, 2020, to continue the dialog with community members and answer their questions
• Chief McAlpine’s hosted another virtual Chat with the Chief on August 5, 2020

With the passage of the police services levy in May 2020, we have filled several officer positions and are in the process of hiring support staff. Chief Kathy McAlpine does not accept any applicants who demonstrate any bias, racism or questionable ethics, whatsoever. We have worked to hire a qualified and diverse group of people who have been subject to extensive background checks and psychological evaluations before being offered jobs.

Recently, the Public Safety Advisory Board unanimously supported, and the Tigard Mayor and City Council approved, the expansion of the police department’s body worn camera program. As a result, we now have new, integrated technology – including dash cameras, Tasers, video systems for interview rooms and digital evidence storage. Find out 5 things to know about Tigard Police's 2021 body camera expansion and watch this video.

The School Resource Officer (SRO) program was under evaluation by Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD) from fall 2020 to spring 2021. TTSD worked with students, families, Tigard Police and community stakeholders to determine how best to meet the needs of this community as it relates to SROs. After listening sessions, interviews, community and student surveys, the TTSD School Board decided to continue with a newly structured SRO program. A steering committee, consisting of TTSD district administrators, staff, students and families, Tigard and Tualatin Police Departments and community partners, convened to make recommendations to the TTSD School Board about the provisions of the SRO contract and how to implement the feedback received from stakeholders. School Resource Officers have returned to the schools with the move to hybrid learning on April 19th. Find out more about the program:

• Our department recently published a report on the School Resource program that includes staffing, assignments, functions, history, data and funding. Read the report.
• SROs from Tigard and Tualatin Police Departments participated in an SRO Information Session with TTSD to talk about the program on Thursday, October 1, 2020. Watch the video.

The City and Tigard Police created a Public Safety Advisory Board, which is one of the ideas that grew from community input and Council discussion in response to the killing of George Floyd. The Board is reviewing public safety practices, with similar community input and draft frameworks anticipated for all other areas of city operations.

The department is working on expanding our outreach to underserved communities. For example, the department held a Chat with the Chief in Spanish.

Chief McAlpine and a Tigard officer participated in a series of dialogues with St. Anthony's church and school staff titled "Shepherds and Guardians: Starting a Conversation on Race and Policing." View the first discussion held on 10/27/20.