Officers respond to attempted carjacking
Tigard police officers on July 2 responded to an attempted carjacking at Washington Square Mall, according to a release. A woman said that two young men with a gun tried unsuccessfully to take her car near the JC Penney. Officers set up containment in the area and used a K9 to search for the suspects, who were not located. Police say the suspects went back through the mall and left the area on a TriMet bus.
Cameras now logging speeding violations
The Tigard Police Department on July 1 started issuing citations for speed violations that are caught by its photo enforcement cameras at the intersections of Highway 99 and 72nd Avenue and 99 and Hall Boulevard. Photo enforcement for red-light violations is already in place at those intersections, as well as at 99 and Durham Road. Fines for speeding violations are set by the state and range from $165 to $440, according to the department.
Online reporting system launched
Tigard residents can now report non-emergency crimes and other incidents online. The police department launched the system June 1 intending for it to be used to report things like non-injury vehicle accidents, lost items, shoplifting, vandalism and theft, according to a press release. Requirements for using the online system include that the incident is not an emergency, it occurred within Tigard city limits and the person reporting the incident is 18 or older and has a valid email address. The police department encourages the reporting of all crimes, the release says, to ensure that the city has accurate data for identifying trends and areas where resources need to be focused. To use the online system, go to www.tigard-or.gov/report-a-crime. To report a non-emergency incident via telephone, call 503-629-0111.
Washington County deputy faces assault charges
Washington County Deputy Rian Alden on June 26 turned himself into the Washington County Jail after a grand jury charged him with second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and official misconduct in connection with a 2018 use-of-force incident that allegedly occurred while Alden was booking an arrestee into the jail, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A supervisor flagged the 2018 incident for additional review, and the Sheriff’s Office asked for an outside agency to do the investigation, which was ultimately conducted by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police. Following the investigation, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office reportedly lacked sufficient evidence to move forward with the charges against Alden, who has worked for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office since 2007.
In May, the Sheriff’s Office received information about Alden’s past online communication, which contained racial epithets. The Sheriff’s Office put Alden on leave and began a new investigation. The District Attorney’s Office also reopened its investigation, giving its findings to a grand jury.
“Given new information available in this case, I understand and support the District Attorney’s decision to present the evidence to a grand jury. I thank the grand jury for their time and respect their decision,” Sheriff Pat Garret said in a June 26 statement.
Alden was lodged at Columbia County Jail due to safety reasons, and his bail was set at $250,000.
PD stops accepting prescription drugs for disposal
The Tigard Police Department has removed
the prescription drug disposal unit from its lobby. When the unit was installed more than a decade ago, according to the department, options for safely getting rid of unwanted prescription drugs were limited to law enforcement agencies. More recently, pharmacies have been authorized to receive unwanted medication, and the state has plans to make drug manufacturers manage drug take-back programs. In recent years, the Tigard Police Department has disposed of an average of 1,600 pounds of prescription drugs annually. The department said it will still participate in DEA drug take-back events twice a year.
Tillamook County residents nabbed on suspicion of theft
Three Tillamook County residents were arrested in Tigard for allegedly stealing from Home Depot on Southwest Sequoia Parkway, according to media reports. Tigard officers were called to a theft in progress June 9 after an employee reported seeing three people hide merchandise and leave the store. Officers stopped and arrested one suspect, 29-year-old Jacob Krumenaker, as he attempted to drive out of the parking lot. Quentin Marino, 23, was arrested after he tried to leave in a different vehicle. Officers arrested 40-year-old Corina Swaffard as she was walking through the parking lot to a third vehicle. She reportedly had heroin and methamphetamine in her purse. Officers recovered about $1,000 worth of merchandise from the trio.
Vehicle rollover results in DUII arrest
Tigard police on June 30 responded to a rollover crash on Bull Mountain Road, the department reported on Twitter. The driver was able to exit the vehicle on his own and avoided serious injury. He was arrested on suspicion of DUII, reckless driving and criminal mischief.
