Shoplifters caught in Tigard, Tualatin, and across Washington County now face arrest and booking in the county jail instead of a citation and a court date weeks later.
The Washington County District Attorney's Office announced the new presumptive arrest policy on Wednesday, July 16, joining all 11 county law enforcement agencies, including the Tigard and Tualatin police departments.
The policy covers all misdemeanor and felony retail thefts and is already in effect.
"Right now we're talking about the immediate response to the crime, which is instead of issuing a citation saying show up for court 30 days from now, police officers in Washington County are presumptively going to arrest and take that person to jail," District Attorney Kevin Barton told KATU News on July 16.
The shift means officers will default to taking suspects into custody at the Washington County Jail whenever an arrest is legally justified. Officers still retain discretion to cite or release in individual cases.
Who signed on
The policy was announced through the Law Enforcement Council of Washington County, which sent a letter to area retailers on Monday, July 6.
Signatories include Barton, Sheriff Caprice Massey, Tigard Interim Chief Robert Rogers, Tualatin Chief Greg Pickering, and the heads of seven other municipal departments.
Rogers, who became interim chief on Thursday, July 3, after Chief Jamey McDonald's retirement, signed on behalf of Tigard PD. He has served with the department for 29 years. Neither Tigard PD nor Tualatin PD issued separate statements about the policy.
Why the change
County data paints a picture of theft driven largely by people from outside the area. From 2023 to 2025, more than 60% of theft cases referred to the DA's office involved defendants who were not Washington County residents, according to the council's letter. About 21% of referred felony cases involved defendants from Multnomah County.
The letter also cited two violent incidents tied to retail theft: In August 2024, a man carrying a stolen firearm stole shoes from a Nordstrom Rack, fired at officers during his arrest, and was killed by return fire. In June 2026, a man assaulted officers with a knife while being arrested for theft from a WinCo.
The council framed the policy as a deterrence signal, noting that organized retail thieves communicate with each other and know which stores call police, which agencies respond, and which DAs prosecute.
Jail capacity and enforcement history
The Washington County Sheriff's Office said it evaluated the expected impact and is confident the jail can handle additional bookings without compromising safety or operations.
The DA's office created a countywide retail theft task force in 2022 and secured approximately $3 million in grant funding. That money has gone to security upgrades for retailers and enforcement equipment, missions, and overtime for police agencies.
What retailers and residents should know
The Law Enforcement Council asked stores to report all theft without delay and to reconsider internal policies that skip reporting thefts below certain dollar amounts. Retailers with private parking lots were also urged to adopt vehicle-towing policies to deter criminals who drive into the county to steal.
Residents and businesses can report retail theft by calling 911 or the Washington County non-emergency dispatch line at 503-629-0111.
