Not even a year into his term, Sheriff Bob Skipper may have to step down as Multnomah County Sheriff. After twice failing the police certification test, he requested temporary certification to gain more time, which the state denied yesterday.

In the State Department of Public Safety Standards and Training’s (DPSST) letter to Skipper, Deputy Director Eriks Gabliks writes, “We have confirmed our initial discussion that DPSST does not have the authority to grant a temporary certification,” according to the Oregonian’s report.

State law requires all sheriffs to obtain police certification within one year of taking office, which, for Skipper, is November 5. The state legislature passed a custom bill for Skipper in June allowing the aging sheriff to bypass the 16-week boot camp required for entry-level officers and instead participate in a two-week officers’ training course. Skipper felt he did not need the basic training since he had served in the Sheriff’s Office for 34 years before retiring in the mid-nineties. Now it looks like he needed the training.

Skipper failed the certification exam twice this summer, meaning the only way to gain certification now is to attend the 16-week basic training. At this point, there is no way he can complete boot camp to receive certification before the November 5 deadline.

Should Skipper resign, Undersheriff Tom Slyter would become interim sheriff even though he, too, lacks the law enforcement certification. According to County Attorney Agnes Sowles, Slyter would serve until the county board sets a new elections date.

The Sheriff’s Office oversees corrections and detentions for all of Multnomah County and provides law enforcement services to unincorporated Multnomah County.

Skipper does not have a comment at this time, says the Sheriff’s Office’s spokesperson, Lt. Mary Lindstrand.

-Rachael Marcus

18 replies on “Sheriff Skipper May Be Out of Time to Get Certification”

  3. Yes, rules of style for unpaid interns are far more important than whether people like sherrifs have the right credentials for the job.

  8. Graham et al,

    We ask Rachael to sign the bottom of her posts so that she can get full credit for her work while still having the recognition at the top that she’s a Merc intern. So if you think it looks dumb, don’t harass her about the policy, harass Matt and me.

  10. Okay Smirk. It looks dumb.

    Back when the “The unpaid intern” login didn’t include a name, then yes, putting the name at the bottom was a good idea. However, since there is now more than one intern, and the intern accounts now have names attached to them, it is fairly clear who wrote what, and signing the name at the bottom is no longer necessary. On the other hand, if you want to change the login name to “Second assistant unpaid intern to Miss Mirk&Mr Davis” then she is welcome to continue to have her name at the bottom. One would think that you could actually dispense with the “unpaid intern” line entirely from the login name instead, since other people (Queen of Blogtown, for instance,) probably aren’t paid either, and even the paid people are only making peanuts in the first place, but I digress. The name should only be one place in the story.

    -Rowdy

  16. I’m with Graham and Matthew. I check into Blogtown multiple times a day and the only thing that frustrates me more than a lack of content on the weekend is Rachel’s byline at the end of each and every post. Nothing against her, her writing, or her positions… I just hate the effing italicized signature, as if we all are not competent enough to read the *real* byline.

  18. Ra’oof who is close to earning his doctorate in industrial psychology and who is an ex-tactical correctional team member with the sheriff’s office, did not have a chance last election. The media had already endorsed Skipper. I believe anything he said would not have been printed or gain media traction. Lets hope he runs again.

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