In an earnest effort to curb the rising tide of pedestrian casualties, the Tigard Police Traffic Safety Unit has been fervently working the streets—not as an act of power but of protection, a preservation of life. On June 7, the team dedicated 28 vigilant hours towards ensuring pedestrian safety, a testament to a community's steadfast commitment to the sanctity of its people.

Their actions, though seemingly measured in metrics of citations and warnings, speak to a broader narrative of education and engagement. From the 50 proactive interactions that day, 7 citations were doled out for a medley of infractions; a testimony to our collective inattention—bicycle and pedestrian crosswalk violations, distracted driving, and driving uninsured. Moreover, 43 warnings were issued as gentle but firm reminders of the rules that bind us, the social contract on wheels and foot.

Embedded within this enforcement is a sense of urgency underscored by stark statistics: in 2021, 7,388 pedestrian lives were halted in traffic accidents, a number that echoes through history as the most tragic since 1981. According to official reports from Tigard Police, every step we take at the seemingly benign intersections, marked or unmarked, unfurls beneath the weight of Oregon law (ORS 801.220).