Training is key

Over the years, the Tigard community has shown support for the Tigard Police Department. In May, voters handily renewing a 2020 police levy that retained eight police officers and other nonsworn personnel as well as providing continued funding for officer deescalation and crisis intervention training.

While the COVID-19 pandemic slowed some of that training (most must be done in person because of the amount of hands-on learning included), the trainings are pretty much back to normal.

McDonald said the in-person training is important too because it includes people who have interactions with law enforcement.

Those speakers tell officers what their first-hand experiences were like, something “that’s so impactful, and it makes such a big difference to actually be able to do that in person, to be able to hear those experiences … Some of them have been positive experiences. Some of them not.”

McDonald said even earlier in his career, he remembers that Tigard has always placed a high value on making sure officers get trained that will help them to deal with those in crisis. He said while officers may not be able to fix what has sent a person into a state of crisis, they can hopefully get them a level of service that will help them get better.

He praised the partnership between LifeWorks NW and police officers in Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood and King City, which began in 2022. Known as the Mental Health Resource Team South Cities, a mental health clinician rides with officers during situations involving those suffering behavioral or mental health crises.

Training in deescalation and crisis intervention was in place as part of the original 2020 police levy even before the Jan. 6, 2021, shooting death of Jacob Macduff. Macduff’s death was the first fatal shooting by a Tigard police officer in the more than 60-year history of the department.