Stiles

PRINEVILLE — Interim Police Chief Les Stiles has a plaque on his desk that reads, in Latin, “Who will guard the guards?”

The former Deschutes County sheriff was brought on to run the department in the wake of the departure of former Police Chief Eric Bush.

Last week, Bush reached a settlement in a suit he filed against the city in July after he was fired in the wake of allegations that he’d misused the city’s computers and flex-time policy.

Stiles has taken his assignment to heart, as the plaque attests, but he said in an interview Monday that he’s not interested in reviewing Bush’s tenure — or its conclusion.

“I didn’t want anything to do with the Chief Bush issue,” said Stiles. “That’s yesterday. My whole focus is today and tomorrow.”

Since assuming duty Aug. 11, Stiles has pursued what he calls a “bottom-up assessment” of the department. He submitted a proposal outlining his responsibilities to Prineville City Manager Steve Forrester at the end of July.

Over the next 16 months that he’ll be acting chief, Stiles’ to-do list includes reviewing the department’s facility needs, earning state law enforcement accreditation for the department and hiring for several police, dispatch and administrative positions.

On Friday, Stiles eliminated the detective unit of the police department and moved the two full-time detectives to patrol positions.

He is about halfway through a review of best practices, but many of his goals remain unmet, including a review of the department’s internal culture. While some initiatives are one-off tasks, such as an audit of the department’s equipment, funds and fixed assets, others, such as establishing a process of “continuous improvement,” will take more time, said Stiles.

The day after Stiles began as interim chief, Police Capt. Michael Boyd resigned. Stiles has not hired a replacement.

Stiles learned Monday morning the department would have enough money to hire someone to replace Boyd starting Jan. 1, he said.

Without a police captain, though, Stiles said that he’s been busy with day-to-day operations, which he likened to grass, whereas larger organizational goals he had outlined in July are like clouds in the sky.

“I’m down in the grass, and all I can do is see the clouds at the moment,” Stiles said.

Stiles said the department will recruit externally to fill the voids left by Bush and Boyd. Stiles will play an active role in recruitment, he said, though first he has to determine the department’s needs.

Stiles himself can stay on as chief only until February 2016. After that, he would have to retrain through the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.

Forrester, the city manager, said that in light of Bush’s departure, he wanted an interim chief who could conduct “an unbiased third-party review of how we’re doing.”

In particular, Forrester said, he wanted someone to review the department’s policies, practices and succession planning.

“Because of the current state, I became very interested in having a third party from outside our community,” said Forrester.

Forrester also cited Stiles’ extensive experience. Stiles served as the Deschutes County sheriff for seven years after working for 16 years in the Bend Police Department. After retiring in 2007, Stiles taught in the Master of Business Administration program at the Concordia University School of Management.

“(Stiles) and I shared a very similar thought process in terms of strategic thinking and management from a lean perspective,” Forrester said. “What I didn’t have was the public safety or law enforcement experience.”

“I think (Stiles is) doing a great job,” said Crook County Sheriff Jim Hensley. “He comes here with a wealth of knowledge and experience, and I’m learning things from him, too.”

Hensley said that Stiles has been particularly helpful in determining how best to make use of staff time .

Forrester and Hensley said that since Stiles’ appointment, the city and county have partnered to consider more collaborative initiatives, including a single Community Justice Center to house the Crook County Sheriff’s Office, Parole and Probation, the District Attorney’s Office and the Prineville Police Department.

Bush was fired July 15 after an investigation by the Local Government Personnel Institute, an agency hired by the city to evaluate his conduct.

Last week, the city of Prineville settled for $666,701 a suit Bush had filed against it and Boyd, according to Crook County court records. The amount is the maximum a local government may pay under Oregon law, according to Bush’s attorney, Roxanne Farra.

The settlement resolves part of the $2.5 million suit that Bush filed against the city, Boyd and LGPI in July. The case against LGPI continues, according to Farra.

Prineville City Attorney Carl Dutli said that Prineville’s insurance company, Citycounty Insurance Services, handled the decision to settle.

Dutli said the city neither sought nor received City Council approval for the settlement.

— Reporter: 541-383-0376,

cwithycombe@bendbulletin.com