Skipper’s Castaways

[August 27th, 2008]

When Bob Skipper was sworn in six weeks ago to replace disgraced Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto, he promised to “flip the page” at the troubled agency he was taking over.

But that page is turning more slowly than expected. As he seeks election in November to complete the final two years of Giusto’s four-year term, Skipper’s only big moves so far have been to hire an old friend and demote a former rival.

That’s surprised several observers in the sheriff’s office, who expected more of an Obama-style “change agent” given Skipper’s initial rhetoric.

“Before he got sworn in, he said he intends to make some significant management changes,” says Sgt. Phil Anderchuk, head of the jail deputies’ union. “I expected him to do that. Then he didn’t.”

Skipper, a 69-year-old former sheriff, has effectively run the office since June 6, when Giusto named him undersheriff before resigning in mid-July in the wake of a year-long ethics investigation.

But Skipper has yet to make the kind of changes he’s said are his top priority.

While Skipper tells WW he’s put selected managers—without naming names—on notice that they must improve, he says he’s holding his fire until after the Nov. 4 election. Skipper is running against Sgt. Muhammad Ra’oof.

“It’s a short period of time between now and the election, and people don’t need to be in upheaval all the time,” Skipper says. “I’m one who likes to think things through, not shoot from the hip necessarily.”

Giusto’s jail management came under fire in two recent reports, and Skipper wrote the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training on Aug. 11 that his “sole desire” is to restore the agency’s reputation, “starting from the top down.”

He has taken some small steps. He flip-flopped the commanders in charge of the Inverness and Justice Center jails. And he reshuffled which jail lieutenants are in charge of which shifts.

But beyond those tweaks, he’s made only two changes that could be considered major to an agency that runs two jails and patrols unincorporated Multnomah County with 800 employees and a $100 million budget.

On taking office, Skipper hired Tom Slyter as his new undersheriff. Slyter, 63, was facilities commander and chief deputy when Skipper was sheriff from 1989 to 1994.

Slyter was demoted under Sheriff Dan Noelle—a move Slyter fought unsuccessfully in court before running against Noelle for sheriff in 1998. Noelle trounced Slyter with 76 percent of the vote, and Slyter retired from the sheriff’s office in 1999.

Skipper says he brought back Slyter as a trusted friend to help reform the agency. Skipper’s second move was ousting Lt. Bruce McCain, one of Giusto’s most trusted aides and his personal attorney in the ethics investigation.

Under Giusto, McCain wrote grants and did lobbying work from the central administrative office on Northeast Glisan Street. Under Skipper, he’s relegated to running the swing shift at Inverness Jail.

McCain says Skipper told him flat-out he had “too much Bernie baggage”—an account Skipper does not deny, saying McCain needs to prove himself again to his colleagues on the force.

With Skipper so far receiving only fawning press coverage, there’s little doubt he’ll defeat his relatively unknown challenger in November. The question, says McCain—who lost to Skipper in his own bid for sheriff in 1989—is whether Skipper will eventually run for a full four-year term.

Skipper says he initially intended to finish Giusto’s term and move on. Now he’s not so sure.

“That is not enough time to bring stability,” he says. “If I see another person that is capable and cares as much about this agency as I care, then I will have no problem deferring to them. If I don’t, then I will cross that bridge.”