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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2012)
Smoke Signals 13 DECEMBER 1,2012 LaChance beings 33 years off experience tto job : .y-: . .... . A i . . ;o of Photo by Michelle Alaimo Alvin LaChance Jr. takes an oath as he's sworn in as chief of the Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department during a ceremony in Tribal Council Chambers on Friday, Nov. 1 6. Next to him is Jake McKnlght, who was sworn in as a sergeant. They were both sworn in by Tribal Court Chief Judge Suzanne Ojibway Townsend. POLICE continued from front page to Grand Ronde," said Tribal Coun cil member Steve Bobb Sr. "This is a huge step, and an honor and a privilege to have our own law enforcement." After being sworn in, LaChance said that it was important to have a ceremony and that his door will always be open, even during nights and weekends because he now lives in Tribal housing. His office is lo cated in the police substation next to Spirit Mountain Casino. "I look forward to serving the community," LaChance said. McKnight said the swearing-in ceremony was another stop on a "long journey" toward becoming a police officer. During the Nov. 7 Tribal Council meeting, LaChance briefed the Tribal membership on his 33 years of experience in law enforcement, all of it with the city of Redmond. He started as a reserve in 1978. After 2.5 years in that position, he said he discovered that he loved law enforcement and Redmond, so he became the city's first police techni cian, enforcing city ordinances. He then became a patrol officer and was subsequently promoted to corporal and sergeant. He was a supervisor for more than 22 years with the Redmond Police Depart ment, ending his career as a lieu tenant in charge of investigations. "I could have made captain, but, unfortunately, my lovely bride also worked for the city of Redmond, and she was the Community Service officer's supervisor. So, it would have a little bit of a conflict of inter est to be her supervisor," he said. "And I was perfectly happy staying as a lieutenant." LaChance said he met his wife very early in his career at the Red mond Police Department. LaChance said he retired 17 months ago from the Redmond Police Department and was happy in re tirement until the position of Grand Ronde police chief found him. He said a colleague he teaches with at the state police academy knew the police chief that the Tribe had hired as a consultant in its search for a police chief. During lunch, the consultant expressed frustration at not being able to find a qualified and experienced Tribal member candidate for the police chiefs job when LaChance's col league said he knew someone who met the criteria. "I was truly enjoying my retire ment," he said. "We were traveling. I think I was home five weeks of those 17 months. But I talked to my wife and she said if it was meant to be, go for it. If it was something that I wanted to do, she would support it." LaChance said he took the job to help the Tribe start its new police department and make the process a positive experience. "Not only for the Tribal members and the community," he said, "but most importantly for the youth of the Tribe. One of my goals is to make it attractive to them to be come police officers. That's where I'm coming from and that's why I am here." In Redmond, LaChance said he was involved in several special projects aimed at area youth that helped to build positive bonds be tween them and police officers. The swearing-in ceremony was the culmination of several years of effort by the Tribe to acquire fund ing for the police department and to get a law passed by the Oregon Legislature putting Tribal police officers on equal footing with other city, county and state law enforce ment personnel. In 2010, the Tribe received two grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, including a $171,923 COPS Tribal Resources Grant for police equipment and training. In early 2011, McKnight, who was the Tribe's Forest Patrol of ficer, was reclassified as a Tribal police officer so he could attend the state's 16-week public safety train ing course held at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training Academy in Salem. He graduated in July of that year. Also in July 201 1, Gov. John Kit zhaber signed a bill that recognizes Tribal police officers as police offi cers under state law in Oregon. In October 2011, the Tribe re ceived a three-year, $672,525 De partment of Justice grant to add two more officers to the Tribal police force in 2012. In October of this year, the Tribe received a $378,103 Department of Justice grant to pay for hiring, training and equipment for one additional officer in 2013. Eventually, those three police officers will join McKnight and LaChance on the five-person Tribal police force. LaChance said he is currently writing the department's policies and procedures. Once those are com pleted and approved, he will seek to make two lateral hires police officers who are already certified and can hit the street running. The third hire, he said, hopefully will be a Tribal member who will need to attend the academy for training. LaChance added that he plans to be the Tribe's police chief until he can "find someone to replace me." Within five years, he said, he hopes McKnight will gain the experience necessary to take over the position. "I would like to have the chief continue to be a Tribal member," LaChance said. LaChance is descended from his great-grandmother Maude Hudson and his grandfather Ralph La Chance on his father's side. "It's been a long time, but now this Tribe finally has a chief," Tom said at the conclusion of the swearing-in ceremony. D INTERNALEXTERNAL Prevention Caseworker Social Services Grade: 10 Closing date: Dec. 14 Sr. Investment Analyst Economic Development Grade: 16 Open until filled General Manager General Manager Grade: 24 Open until filled EXTERNAL OPENINGS H Caregiver (on-call) Adult Foster Care Grade: 5 Open until filled Drug-Free Workplace Policy Effective January 1, 2004, all employees are subject to random drug andor alcohol testing. BAH pre-employment offers. OWhen there is reasonable suspicion. Post accident. For a detailed job description, please contact the Tribe's job line at 503-879-2257 or 1 -877 TRIBEGR. Internal applicants are 1. Current Regular Employee, past their six-month Introduc tory period, receiving at least a "meets expectations'" on most recent performance evaluation and not under disciplinary ac tion or performance improve ment within the previous six months, 2. Grand Ronde Tribal members 3. Spouse of a Grand Ronde Tribal member or 4. Parent or legal guardian of Grand Ronde Tribal member children Internal recruitment For those individuals meeting minimum qualifications an interview will be given in the following ranking order: 1. Grand Ronde Tribal members a) Qualified Grand Ronde Tribal members who show they meet the minimum qualifica tions of the position during the course of the interview process will be given first con sideration for hire and the recruitment process will end 2. Tribal member spouses, par ents andor legal guardians of Grand Ronde Tribal member children 3. Current regular employees SALES DIRECTOR JOB OPENING Shasta Administrative Services, a mid-sized third party adminis trator located in Redmond, Oreg. is searching for a seasoned veteran to fill the role of Director of Sales. T1 1111 1 itequires a Dacneiors degree ana . five years of experience in sales ( or a related area; three years of Jit or training role, preferably with S H A S T A exposure to insurance, medical provider or employee benefits in- Administrative Services' dustries. Must have a current Life and Health agentinsurance producer license. Experience with self-insured, Tribal, Collective BargainingTaft-Hartley andor Public Entity plans preferred. To apply, e-mail your resume, cover letter and salary expectation to addiefshastatpa.com by Dec. 7. B