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The City of La Grande will soon be starting the process to select a new chief of police. Chief John Courtney officially retired June 30 after serving 24 years in the position. Courtney is being retained as a consultant for six months to aid in the transition to new leadership.
City Manager Robert Strope and a selection committee will be faced with a significant decision. Replacing a veteran manager for a position as important as police chief isn’t an easy task. Those involved in the selection will need to set criteria for the kind of chief they want La Grande to have and the public face they want to put forward.
Courtney had a long tenure with the La Grande Police Department. By and large he kept the department out of the limelight and tending to business. But he, too, kept a low profile. Too low, in fact, for a chief of police.
Chances are, few people in La Grande could even name the city’s chief, much less pick him out of a lineup — despite the fact he served for more than two decades. As one of city government’s most important — and highly paid ($71,000 per year) — department heads, Courtney didn’t have much of a community profile.
He rarely put on his uniform, and he left most of the department’s public business to his lieutenants.
La Grande’s next chief not only needs to be a good cop and a good manager, he or she needs to be someone who wants to be a part of the community. Someone who recognizes that he/she is working on behalf of and for the community. And, yes, someone who is willing to proudly and regularly wear the uniform of his/her department.
Courtney may have been a great manager, which would explain his lengthy tenure with the city. Frankly, we’re not sure because The Observer, like the public in general, has had so little contact with him. But issues that have developed in the past year call into question the management of the department. In a police department, the buck ultimately stops with the chief. Last fall, the sheriff’s department refused to serve on a drug task force with La Grande due to personnel issues. More recently, one La Grande officer, who is under investigation by the police licensing board, resigned. Another is on administrative leave pending the outcome of a criminal investigation. It’s not a stretch to assume that something might be amiss in the management of the department.
The timing of Courtney’s retirement simply might be coincidental. He has put in his time and is eligible for retirement. Whatever the reason, the City of La Grande has an opportunity for a new kind of leadership in its police department.
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Opinion 
