A former Cordova police chief has conditionally accepted the position of interim police chief for the Haines Borough.
Robert Griffiths of Scappoose, Ore., accepted manager David Sosa’s job offer Tuesday, pending completion of a background check.
Sosa said he and Griffiths are in the process of discussing a salary and a start date.
Griffiths worked as the City of Cordova’s chief of police from 2011-2013.
“(The) Cordova Police Department faced a number of challenges when I took command as the working chief; not the least of which were strained relations with the City Council and a negative reputation within the community. Over the course of my tenure, I rebuilt a strong relationship with the City Council through regular appearances at meetings and community events as well as individual meetings to discuss issues and explore solutions,” Griffiths wrote in his cover letter.
Griffiths rose through the ranks at the Anchorage Police Department – ascending from officer to detective to sergeant to lieutenant – between 1984 and 2001. He also served as a deputy sheriff at Oregon’s Jackson County Sheriff’s Department from 1975-1983.
According to his cover letter, Griffiths has dealt with several public safety issues that are currently facing Haines.
“Cordova did not have strong recruiting, testing, screening, or training programs in place when I assumed command. I instituted new programs to address these areas just as the department went through a significant staffing change dropping from five officers to only one,” Griffiths wrote.
During the transition, Griffiths worked as a patrol officer and investigator in addition to his administrative responsibilities as chief. “Thankfully, by the fall of 2012, we were again fully staffed. Unfortunately, while I embraced Cordova and thrived there, this was not the case for my family. For their sake, I voluntarily separated service in January 2013,” he wrote.
A hiring committee consisting of Sosa, Mayor Jan Hill, school superintendent Ginger Jewell and representatives from the Public Safety Commission interviewed Griffiths and another finalist last week. On Monday, the hiring committee met with the commission in executive session to discuss the interviews.
Public Safety Commission member Bob Duis said he was glad the commission was involved in the hiring process, as they have been previously excluded despite a portion of borough code that requires their participation.
“The Public Safety Commission really appreciated being involved for the first time,” Duis said.
Though he was initially skeptical of Sosa’s plan, Duis said he came around to Sosa’s idea of hiring an interim chief for up to six months instead of hiring a permanent person right away.
“He really didn’t want to necessarily hire a person that would be the next chief. He really wanted to find somebody that could do some things in the interim and help find the right person to fill the position, instead of being one that was there to lobby to be the next (chief),” Duis said.
Griffiths made clear during his interview that he wasn’t looking for a permanent position and only wanted an interim job, Duis said.
Griffiths’ technology skills paired with his extensive experience made him the preferred candidate over the other finalist, Corey Rowley, who worked as chief at the Hoonah Police Department, Duis said.
Greg Russell, who is conducting a $22,000 study of the Haines Police Department, spoke with Griffiths and urged him to apply for the job, stating he would be “the perfect fit for Haines.”
“After speaking with Greg at length about the opportunities and challenges of the community and department, I spoke with Mr. Sosa, who further convinced me that Haines would be an excellent opportunity,” Griffiths wrote. “I am convinced that I could contribute significantly to the stability of the police department while reaching out into the community to reestablish the tenants of community policing and building support for public safety.”
Griffiths has a master’s degree in business management from the University of LaVerne, a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Southern Oregon University, and a certificate in Police Staff and Command from Northwestern University.