Report recommends hiring an Undersheriff

An independent review of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office recommends that Sheriff Greg Brown hire an Undersheriff in order to lighten his administrative load and improve communication within the agency.

Brown eliminated the Undersheriff position shortly after his election in 1996. The move streamlined management and cut costs, according to Brown.

Michael Swanson, the consultant who prepared the study, said that the original decision to eliminate the Undersheriff was valid, and he noted that "no one likes to advance recommendations that increase costs and personnel."

However, he argued, growth of the agency places too many burdens directly on the sheriff. Swanson noted that the Community Corrections Office has been reassigned to the sheriff, who has taken on the responsibility for making that transition successful. Brown also deals with the legislature and the public on behalf of the office. Brown is primarily responsible for handling the office's budget, and Swanson noted that "budgetary issues are a strength of the current sheriff." However, Swanson recommended that an Undersheriff be able to provide budgetary assistance and take over responsibility for the budget in the event of an extended absence.

While "(Brown's) success owes at least in part to the dedication he brings to the job," Swanson stated, "there is a danger that he is being spread too thin."

Swanson noted that an Undersheriff could help the sheriff better communicate his vision for the sheriff's office, either by handling internal communications, or by freeing Brown for that undertaking.

Brown agreed, in a memo to the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners "that a specific command level position needs to exist to improve internal communications."

However, Brown said, he "will not re-institute a top-heavy management structure."

Swanson's study strongly emphasized the concern over Brown's ability to communicate his vision to other members of his agency.

"The sheriff has a vision," Swanson stated, "but it is uncertain whether or not it is being communicated to the staff as a whole. What is certain is that when it is effectively communicated, it motivates those who listen."

Brown acknowledged the need to improve communications.

He told commissioners that the sheriff's office is now issuing a monthly newsletter and Brown is now meeting at lunch every other month with at least one employee from each division.

The office has also instituted an employee suggestion box and suggestions are published in the newsletter and evaluated by supervisors.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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