McMinnville Police Department

🎓 Congratulations, McMinnville High School Class of 2026! 🎓

Today marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of many new adventures. On behalf of the McMinnville Police Department, we want to congratulate each graduate on this incredible achievement.

Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have brought you to this milestone, and we are excited to see what the future holds for you. Whether you're continuing your education, entering the workforce, serving your community, or pursuing other dreams, we wish you success, happiness, and safety on the road ahead.

Take time to celebrate your accomplishments, cherish the memories you've made, and look forward to the opportunities that await.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! We are proud of you and wish you nothing but the best in all your future endeavors.

🙌 The McMinnville Police Department would like to congratulate and wish all McMinnville High School graduates a memorable and exciting final week of high school!

As graduation festivities and celebrations take place throughout the week leading up to commencement on Friday, June 5, motorists are encouraged to watch for increased traffic, pedestrians, and activity around our community. Please drive carefully, stay alert, and help keep our graduates, families, and friends safe as they celebrate this important milestone.

🎉 Congratulations, Class of 2026! We hope you enjoy this special week, make lasting memories, and celebrate responsibly.

🎓 McMinnville High School Graduation
📅 Friday, June 5, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM

For additional graduation information, visit the McMinnville High School website:
https://mhs.msd.k12.or.us/calendars/
https://www.facebook.com/MHSGrizzlies

⚡ ELECTRIC MICROMOBILITY SAFETY SERIES – Electric Bicycles ⚡

As electric bikes continue to grow in popularity around McMinnville, it’s important for riders and parents to understand that not all e-bikes are the same.

This week, we are focusing on the THREE CLASSES of Electric Assisted Bicycles recognized under Oregon law.

An electric bike is a bicycle equipped with an electric motor and classified as either a Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3 e-bike.

🚲 Class 1 E-Bike
• Provides assistance only while the rider is pedaling
• Stops providing assistance at 20 MPH
• Riders under 16 years old are required to wear a helmet
• Protective headgear is always recommended
• Minimum rider age is 14 years old

🚲 Class 2 E-Bike
• Can be propelled by the motor without pedaling
• Stops providing assistance at 20 MPH
• Protective headgear is always recommended
• Minimum rider age is 16 years old

🚲 Class 3 E-Bike
• Provides assistance only while the rider is pedaling
• Stops providing assistance at 28 MPH
• Must be equipped with a speedometer
• Protective headgear is always recommended
• Minimum rider age is 16 years old

⚠️ Important Reminder:
• Gas-assisted bicycles are NOT considered e-bikes in Oregon. They are classified as mopeds and are subject to different laws and requirements.
• Pocket bikes, mini motorcycles, and electric dirt bikes are NOT legal to operate on highways, streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, or premises open to the public.
• Pocket bikes, mini motorcycles, and electric dirt bikes may only be operated on private property with the property owner’s permission.

🪖 SAFETY MATTERS
E-bikes can travel much faster than traditional bicycles, which means crashes can result in more serious injuries. Wearing a properly fitted helmet greatly reduces the risk of serious head injuries and can save lives.

Please ride responsibly:
• Stay alert and avoid distractions
• Obey traffic laws and signals
• Use lights and reflective gear at night
• Watch for pedestrians and vehicles
• Ride at safe speeds, especially on shared paths
• Protective headgear is always recommended

Before purchasing or riding an electric bike, take time to understand the laws, safety equipment, and riding rules that apply to your specific type of bike.

Our goal is education, awareness, and helping keep everyone in our community safe while enjoying Oregon’s growing micromobility options.

We hope everyone, whether traveling on foot, bike, vehicle, motorcycle, bus, or train, enjoys the beautiful and interesting sights Oregon has to offer.

Have questions about a specific ride? Check out the official ODOT Micromobility Guide at: www.oregon.gov/odot/forms/dmv/6619.pdf
Or Visit: https://www.oregon.gov/odot

We know we’re a little late posting about our recent graduates from DPSST. Our social media presence has been, in professional terms “under construction.” We’re working on stepping up our game and being a little more active online one post at a time.

With that being said, please help us welcome our two newest academy graduates. Officer Hampton and Officer Freeman!

Officer Freeman graduated on April 24th, 2026, and has already started his field training journey. He’s quickly learning that patrol work comes with a few universal truths. Caffeine is mandatory, paperwork reproduces when left unattended, and “quick report” is the funniest phrase in law enforcement.

Officer Hampton graduated on May 22nd, 2026, and will begin field training on May 30th. We’re excited to have him hit the road and experience all the important parts of the job, like discovering everyone suddenly drives perfectly when they see a patrol car.

Please join us in congratulating our newest Officers and wishing them the best as they begin the next chapter of their careers. We’re excited to have them serving our community!

This Memorial Day, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country.

We are deeply grateful to all who have served and continue to serve in our Armed Forces. Your courage, dedication, and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

From all of us at the McMinnville Police Department, thank you to our military members, veterans, and Gold Star families.

We wish everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day. ❤️🤍💙

As we head into Memorial Day Weekend, the McMinnville Police Department wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Whether you are traveling, BBQing with family, attending local events, or enjoying the sunshine, please remember:

🚗 Drive safely
📵 Put the phone down
🍻 Never drive impaired
🚴 Watch for pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooters
☀️ Stay hydrated and look out for one another

Most importantly, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

Have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day weekend, McMinnville. ❤️

☀️ With the warmer weather, our streets and paths are seeing a major increase in electric bikes, motorized scooters, and mopeds. While these are fantastic, eco-friendly ways to get around McMinnville, many riders and parents don't realize that motorized equipment comes with strict legal requirements.

🚦 To kick off our Electric Micromobility Safety Series, we’re focusing on Rule #1:

16-Year-Old Minimum Age Requirements*

Under Oregon law (ORS 801.258, ORS 801.348, and ORS 801.259), riders must meet the following minimum ages to legally operate:

✅ Electric-assisted bicycles (E-bikes) – Must be 16 years old
Note: Oregon law now allows riders as young as 14 years old to operate Class 1 E-bikes only*.
✅ Motor-assisted scooters – Must be 16 years old
(stand-up electric scooters)
✅ Electric personal assistive mobility devices – Must be 16 years old
(self-balancing devices on two non-tandem wheels)

🚨 Important Reminder About Electric Dirt Bikes, Pocket Bikes & Mini-Motorcycles 🚨

Electric dirt bikes, pocket bikes, and mini-motorcycles are NOT considered e-bikes or scooters under Oregon law.

Because they do not meet federal safety standards, Electric dirt bikes, pocket bikes, and mini-motorcycles, cannot be registered for street use and are NOT LEGAL to operate:
❌ On public roads
❌ On sidewalks
❌ On bike paths
❌ In parks or other public spaces
✅ These vehicles may ONLY be operated on private property with the property owner’s permission.

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents, please take note:
Standard bicycles can be ridden at any age, but once a motor or electric assist is added, the law changes. Allowing a child under 16 (or under 14 for Class 1 e-bikes only*) to operate these motorized devices on public streets, sidewalks, or bike paths is a violation of traffic law and puts their safety at risk.

Let's work together to keep our young riders and neighborhood streets safe this summer!

Have questions about a specific ride? Check out the official ODOT Micromobility Guide at: www.oregon.gov/odot/forms/dmv/6619.pdf
Or Visit: https://www.oregon.gov/odot

UPDATE 05/18/26:
Officers were dispatched to the 1700-block of NE Lafayette AV at 3:25 PM on May 7th, 2026, on the report of a three-vehicle crash. Additional information was that it involved a pickup and a garbage truck. Upon their arrival they saw that the crash occurred at the TYREE gas pumps located at 1700 NE Lafayette Avenue (east side of Lafayette Avenue).

During the scene investigation they learned that the crash involved a blue 4-door passenger car, a silver/grey pickup, and a Recology garbage truck. The pickup had been driving northbound on Lafayette Avenue behind the blue passenger car, and after contacting the back of the blue car, the pickup left the roadway and started to drive through the planting strip between the sidewalk and the gas pumps. The Recology garbage truck was simply leaving the gas pumps and was stopped at the driveway entry/exit (waiting to drive out onto Lafayette Avenue) when the pickup crashed into the driver side of the garbage truck.

The driver of the pickup, identified as Jerry Frazee (82-year-old, of McMinnville), sustained some injury (not life-threatening), and was quickly triaged on scene by McMinnville Fire District EMS staff before being transported by ambulance to WVMC and then flown via Life Flight to a hospital in the Portland area.

The right/front passenger in the pickup, identified as Ruth Jazek (65-year-old, of McMinnville), was declared deceased at the scene. Next of kin notifications were made that same evening following the scene investigation.

The driver of the blue passenger car was examined by EMS staff on scene due to complaints of back and neck pain, but he opted not to be transported by ambulance for further examination.

The driver of the Recology garbage truck was not injured.

The portion of Lafayette Avenue between NE McDaniel Lane and NE 19th Street was closed in both directions until about 8:00 PM.

This investigation is still considered to be ongoing, and no final determination has been made yet about what caused the sequence of events. No arrests have been made, and no citations have been issued to date.