Tigard police retail theft mission yields 21 arrests

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Nearly two dozen people were arrested during a retail theft mission in Tigard over the weekend, authorities said.

It represents the first operation of its kind in the area since the Washington County District Attorney’s Office was awarded a $1.5 million state grant to combat retail theft. 

Stolen merchandise, a replica gun and methamphetamine were also seized during the operation, Tigard police said.

The grant has allowed for an increase of retail theft missions as part of a joint effort among law enforcement and prosecutors, officials said.

“During these missions, detectives and patrol officers work directly with loss prevention employees inside stores to identify and interrupt criminal activity as it's happening,” the Tigard Police Department said in a release. 

The mission was conducted on Friday, Sept. 6. It resulted in 21 arrests on a variety of different charges, including theft, possession of burglary tools, drug possession and outstanding warrants.

Merchandise worth roughly $1,700 was also recovered.

The replica handgun that was seized, which officers later learned was an airsoft gun, came from a juvenile who was arrested, officials said.

At one point, a suspect had fled on foot, leading to a brief chase before they were arrested.

Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton told KOIN 6 News last month he’s happy the county was awarded the grant since he’d personally witnessed and videotaped alleged shoplifting incidents on two separate occasions while shopping with his family in the past year.

The $1,545,487 grant represents the largest of its kind across the state from the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program.