Tigard police report storage‑unit burglaries, pedestrian crashes at Garden/99; city considers photo enforcement and fireworks enforcement plans

TIGARD, Ore. — Tigard Police Chief McDonald reported a recent spike in storage‑unit burglaries and briefed the City Council on two pedestrian‑involved fatal crashes near Garden Avenue and Highway 99, describing sun glare as a contributing factor in both incidents. The chief also said the city plans stepped‑up enforcement of illegal fireworks over the Fourth of July and is evaluating expanded photo enforcement for problem intersections.

Storage‑unit burglaries: Chief’s account

Chief McDonald told council that the city recorded a 175% increase in burglaries classified in the “other” category for May and identified “a great number of storage units” that were broken into. He said investigators are working with Hillsboro and Salem police and that property recovered by officers has not yet been fully identified to owners. The police department’s commercial crimes unit and the Salem Police Department were continuing follow‑up work. The chief asked storage‑unit customers in Tigard and Washington County to check their units and report unrecorded losses so officers could match recovered property to owners.

Pedestrian crashes at Gardie and Highway 99

Chief McDonald briefed the council on two pedestrian‑involved fatal crashes in the Garden/99 area, one in July 2022 and another in April of the current year. He said investigations found sun glare was a factor in both cases; in one crash a driver reported sun glare and a witness reported the pedestrian “stumbled into the roadway.” In the other crash the driver said they had a green light and witnesses did not see the collision happen; the driver also reported sun glare. The chief said it was unclear whether roadway design contributed and described limitations to traffic enforcement at the rebuilt intersection (fewer safe places for officers to park and conduct enforcement). He said the city has been discussing the idea of adding photo enforcement and named the Garden/99 intersection as the first location to be considered once a new vendor is online.

Fireworks enforcement and public safety planning

Councilors asked about fireworks enforcement ahead of July 4. The chief said illegal fireworks remain prohibited in Oregon and Tigard year‑round. Officers will seize illegal devices; citations carry municipal fines and Twelfth Valley Fire & Rescue will assist with disposal. The police department is encouraging neighbors to report planned fireworks to allow officers to give warnings in advance. The chief said public messaging will be used to remind residents of the law.

Red‑light/photo enforcement

The chief said the city is onboarding a new photo enforcement vendor and that, once operational, Garden/99 will be a top candidate for expansion of the photo enforcement program because enforcement at that intersection is “very difficult” and motorists frequently run lights. Councilors and staff discussed engineering solutions (ODOT involvement, timing adjustments) as potential complements to photo enforcement; some councilors emphasized addressing environmental factors such as sun glare before relying solely on automated enforcement.

Why it matters: The storage‑unit burglaries represent a short‑term public‑safety problem with property‑loss consequences for residents; the Garden/99 crashes raise broader questions about intersection design, enforcement capacity and future automated enforcement. The council requested staff continue to explore enforcement and engineering options and to pursue the photo‑enforcement procurement as appropriate.

Speakers (whitelist for quotations and attribution)

- Chief McDonald, Police Chief, City of Tigard (government). First referenced s:650.165–681.49. - Councilor Sykes, City Councilor, Tigard (government). First referenced s:1264.13–1288.16. - Councilor Shaw, City Councilor (government). First referenced s:1662.1849–1663.645.

Authorities referenced

- Municipal code (fireworks enforcement) — referenced by Police Chief as the legal basis for local citations; specific code section not specified in the meeting.

Discussion_decision

- Discussion points: spike in storage‑unit burglaries and recovered property that needs owner identification; two pedestrian‑involved fatal crashes where sun glare was cited; difficulty conducting enforcement at rebuilt Garden/99 intersection; interest in adding red‑light/photo enforcement and continuing engineering review with ODOT; fireworks enforcement strategies ahead of July 4. - Direction: Police to continue investigation into storage‑unit burglaries in coordination with Hillsboro and Salem; staff to prioritize Garden/99 for photo enforcement review once vendor is available; public reminders and pre‑enforcement warnings on fireworks. - Decisions: No formal ordinance or contract award at the meeting; council confirmed interest in pursuing photo enforcement and directed staff to return with vendor information and next steps.

Clarifying details

- Storage‑unit burglaries: the strategic dashboard showed burglaries in the “other” category up 175% for May (Chief McDonald) - Pedestrian crashes: two incidents discussed — one in July 2022 and one in April of the current year; sun glare cited as a factor in both investigations (Chief McDonald) - Photo enforcement: Garden/99 identified as first priority once vendor online (Chief McDonald) - Fireworks enforcement: illegal fireworks are prohibited under state law and Tigard municipal code; Twelfth Valley Fire & Rescue assists with disposal (Chief McDonald)

Proper names

[{"name":"Twelfth Valley Fire & Rescue","type":"agency"},{"name":"Garden Avenue and Highway 99","type":"location"},{"name":"Chief McDonald","type":"person"}]

Community relevance

- Geographies: neighborhoods near Garden/99 and storage‑unit facilities in Tigard and Washington County - Impact groups: storage‑unit renters, pedestrians near Garden/99, drivers using Highway 99, neighborhood residents concerned about fireworks and safety

Meeting context

- Engagement level: the topic arose during the police report segment with multiple council questions; staff requested council direction on enforcement and system procurement; no formal action was taken at this meeting. - Implementation risk: medium (photo enforcement requires vendor procurement and coordination with state agencies; engineering changes may be required to address sightline/sun‑glare issues)

Searchable_tags:["police report","storage unit burglaries","pedestrian crash","Garden/99","photo enforcement","fireworks enforcement"]

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