The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

“This is my dream job.”

That is how Lt. Chad Davis of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) described his feelings about being named to head the sheriff’s unit at the Sisters substation.

Davis has been a resident of Sisters for 25 years, during which time he first worked for the Monmouth Police Department as a reserve officer while finishing up his degree in law enforcement at Western Oregon University.

His experience with Deschutes County has been broad and varied. In 1998 he became a patrol canine handler with Ike, the German shepherd, who worked with him for six years. He spent 18-months as part of the SWAT unit, spent several different periods as a criminal detective sergeant and lieutenant.

Davis thinks his periods of being a detective in the criminal division provided opportunities for positive personal and professional growth. As he mentors his three deputies here in Sisters for the next step, he said he will encourage them to spend time in the criminal division.

Davis’s older brother served in the U.S. Army as a military policeman and was Davis’s inspiration when he was a senior at Sweet Home High School to go into law enforcement. He had considered becoming an attorney but, when he realized how much time would be spent sitting in an office or in a court room, he decided the opportunity to be working out in the field, but still involved with the law, was a better direction for him to head.

Davis and his wife, Darcy, have three children, two daughters and a son, aged 16, 14, and 12. Darcy is a substitute teacher in the Sisters School District and has spent years as a volunteer for Sisters Little League. Davis said they love being part of the community where he will now be working full-time.

Weekly meetings will take place between Davis and City Manager Cory Misley, he will make monthly reports to the City Council, and will be reporting to Capt. Paul Garrison, DCSO. He looks forward to working with Misley to create a strategic plan for City law enforcement and public safety which will help guide law enforcement here for the next five years, the length of the initial contract between Sisters and the DCSO.

Over his 25 years in law enforcement, Davis said the biggest shift in how officers do their job is related to the influx of technology in all areas of policing.

“I started out with a note pad, pen, and map as my tools,” Davis said.

Now the patrol deputies have computers in their cars. He indicated that not only do they have much more sophisticated tools at their disposal, but overall policing is much more complex, with the actual technology involved in the commission of crimes.

Officers need to have an understanding of case law as it applies to crimes, criminals, and the role of the police. He also points to the increasing population, which means the number of residents dealing with mental illness and homelessness are also rising. Working with those populations requires different skills and an understanding of when it’s appropriate to contact Deschutes County Behavior Health for assistance.

As a part of the Sisters community, Davis said naturally he wants Sisters to be a safe place.

“I am committed to making that happen,” he said.

Davis looks forward to the return of the city-wide events to Sisters and having his deputies plugged into the action.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to serve the people of Sisters by being present and involved,” he shared. “We are all feeling the excitement of starting a new department.”

Part of that excitement involves a remodel and update to the police substation, including redesigned space, new workstations for the deputies, lieutenant’s office, and a covered area for patrol cars. The County bought the building where the office is located several years ago.

To Davis and his deputies, the quality of life in Sisters is a priority.

“We want the community to be as safe as it can be and the schools to be as safe as they can be,” he said.

Editor's note: The online version of they story has been corrected to accurately reflect Lt. Davis's work history, which was reported incorrectly in the print edition.