Internal auditing and early intervention into poor officer performance are two key ways the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office can start to address problems revealed after a former detective faced criminal charges for ignoring abuse cases, an outside consultant said Tuesday.
The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners listened for about an hour as two reviewers from Los Angeles-based OIR Group presented their findings publicly for the first time.
The commissioners hired the consultants after accusations from a sheriff's sergeant that some supervisors knew for years of Detective Jeff Green's negligence but did little to stop it. The consultant's analysis noted that Green failed to thoroughly investigate 59 cases, about half that included allegations of rape, sodomy, child sex abuse or physical abuse of a child.
"We took it seriously and believe the public's concern is justified," said Commissioner Ken Humberston. "We are working hard with the sheriff and consultants."
Sheriff Craig Roberts wasn't at the meeting because of pending litigation but met earlier with the OIR officials, said board chair Jim Bernard. Sgt. Matt Swanson, who reported Green's misconduct, has filed a $1.6 million whistleblower suit against the Sheriff's Office.
In a statement, Roberts said he's begun working on several of the recommended procedures but didn't say which ones. "As to the others, we're assessing the many considerations and how they may impact policies, union collective bargaining and county funding."
The consultants looked at everything from the Sheriff's Office's professional standards unit to public information policies and interviewed 19 former and current staff members.
After studying Green's tenure and circumstances of his retirement, the OIR report included 51 recommendations for the Sheriff's Office. The group highlighted five top suggestions, including increasing public transparency and greater supervision of detectives during investigations.
"It's OK for law enforcement agency not perform up to snuff every time," said Michael Gennaco of the OIR group. "It's less OK to not admit it."
Bernard said he and possibly the rest of the board plan to meet with the sheriff to discuss the recommendations.
Humberston suggested the board hire the OIR Group to continue auditing the Sheriff's Office and work with the office to report every two to three months on improvements. Other commissioners endorsed the idea. A new contract would have to be set and Humberston said he didn't know how long that would take.
Clackamas County District Attorney John Foote expressed his concern at the meeting and said the Sheriff's Office had demonstrated a refusal to change in-house procedures and a penchant for keeping things from the prosecutor's office.
"Not telling us is covering up misconduct that could be criminal," Foote said.
Foote's frustration with Roberts dates back even earlier when he wrote a letter to Roberts last May. Foote learned about Green's misconduct from the Milwaukie Police Department and chastised Roberts for not notifying his office about any problems with Green.
Green, who retired in 2015, pleaded guilty last year to two misdemeanors for failing to investigate reports of child abuse.
Green's conduct isn't the only controversy to recently come out of the Sheriff's Office.
In addition to Swanson's lawsuit, retired Deputy Joel Manley said he plans to sue the department, claiming he was harassed by co-workers after he wouldn't participate in a suggestive calendar photoshoot with co-workers.
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