The city of Tigard has promoted interim Police Chief Jamey McDonald to the permanent position as chief.

McDonald, 53, replaces Kathy McAlpine, who retired as chief in January 2024, when McDonald rose to the interim post.

McDonald joined the Tigard Police Department as a patrol officer in 2001 after a career in private business.

He worked as a school resource officer early in his tenure with the police department and rose to sergeant in 2010, lieutenant in 2014 and commander in 2016, when he earned $154,000 annually.

A spokesperson for the police department, Kelsey Anderson, did not list McDonald’s new salary in the press release announcing his appointment Thursday. A salary schedule for the police department lists the chief’s annual salary as $137,000 to $179,000.

Tigard City Manager Steve Rymer, who promoted McDonald to the permanent position, said he was impressed by McDonald’s forward-thinking leadership during his time as interim chief, according to the press release.

McDonald, through the spokesperson, deferred an interview until July 1. “This is not a role I take lightly, and I recognize the responsibility that comes with this position,” he is quoted as saying in the announcement. “As your Chief, I will continue to prioritize transparency, engagement and professionalism at all levels within our department, to best serve the needs of our growing community.”

The department has just under 100 officers.

In 2021, a Tigard police officer fired on a 26-year-old man in a mental health crisis, killing him. In 2022, the city settled a lawsuit with the family of the man, Jacob Macduff, for $3.8 million. A 2023 review of the fatal shooting by Tigard police criticized the suburban police department’s initial investigation of the killing as “biased and unprofessional.”

McAlpine, the former chief, now works for the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, the state’s police certification agency, as its director of professional standards.

— David Nuñez covers breaking news and public safety for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-294-7607 or dnunez@oregonian.com.

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