K-9 Rayo is a 16-month-old Belgian Malinois from Germany. His handler, Officer Matt Schmidt, says Rayo, "...still acts like a puppy and loves to please."

The two have been training together for the last several weeks, and have already earned their certification from the Oregon Police Canine Association.

As they wrap up their initial 320 hours of training, they're focusing on skill-building and introducing K-9 Rayo to real-world scenarios.  

As with all Hillsboro Police K-9s, Rayo is being trained to track human odor. In addition to suspects, K-9 Rayo could be deployed to find missing and endangered adults and children, as well as articles of evidence - clothing, weapons and the like.

Officer Schmidt and K-9 Rayo will start on patrol in mid-March. If you happen to see the duo out and about, ask Officer Schmidt how Rayo got his name.

Both will be at HPD's Dogs & Donuts event on March 30 at the Brookwood Library from 10 to 11 am, joined by other members of the K-9 unit. Stop by and say, 'Hi' and enjoy a donut!

On January 22, a Washington County jury found Steven Neil Milner guilty of murder in the second degree, stalking, and violating a court’s stalking protective order (seven counts) - READ the full media release. 

On February 18, a judge sentenced Milner to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. If he is granted parole at that time, he will serve another six years in prison.

2024 OFFICER of the YEAR

Now retired Detective Renee Schwartz is recognized for being a fierce advocate for children in her child abuse investigations, her mentorship of new officers and detectives on the nuances of these challenging cases, and care for her co-workers’ well-being, having served on the Hillsboro Police peer support team for 20 years. 

Renee was honored last month by the Hillsboro American Legion Post 6. 

2024 SUPERVISOR of the YEAR

Sgt Anthony Cristofaro is known for his work ethic, being an active and present Transit and Mobile Field Force supervisor, keeping a close ear to the radio to assist with Patrol coverage when complex calls come up, building great working relationships with law enforcement partners, and his sense of humor.

2024 PROFESSIONAL STAFF EMPLOYEE of the YEAR

Code Compliance Officer Abby Woodruff is always willing to assist others and take on additional responsibilities and projects, including a significant graffiti project and a Multi-Agency Cadet Competition which brought cadets from surrounding agencies together for training and team building.

Many new vehicles have large computer screens on the dashboard. While you might find it a great way to pass the time while you’re driving in traffic, watching a video or podcast on that screen creates a significant distraction that could ultimately lead to a crash that severely injures or kills someone. Furthermore, it’s illegal and carries a $265 fine (ORS 815.240).

For those that argue that they are just listening – it doesn’t matter. If the video is in view of the driver, it’s still illegal.

News Highlights

From the City of Hillsboro