Johnson appointed Grand Coulee interim police chief

After eight weeks with the position vacant, Grand Coulee now officially has an acting police chief. 

Grand Coulee Police Officer Levi Johnson will serve in the role for up to six months until a permanent chief is hired, the city council affirmed at their regular meeting May 21. 

Although the motion to appoint Johnson passed unanimously, no one from the council table made any speeches or comments surrounding the appointment. Afterwards, some council members and members of the public offered their congratulations. 

Johnson said recruitment and retention is his main concern. 

"It's advertising and getting it out there what Grand Coulee has to offer," Johnson told The Star after the meeting. "I see us being more of a stepping stone for guys who want to get into the profession. But if we can take care of them and not make them work crazy hours, and make them feel kind of like a family, I think we can retain people."

As interim chief, Johnson will receive a 10-percent raise in pay for hours worked, and will continue to accrue overtime, according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and Teamsters Local 760, which represents city staff, including patrol officers. 

Johnson has been with the department since November 2015. He had been on a leave of absence for about two months following the death of his son, and came back to work last week.

The process to replace retired Chief John Tufts has contained several twists and turns so far - and it's not over yet. 

Grand Coulee's recently resigned mayor, Mike Eylar, initially declined to hire any of the top applicants forwarded to him by the city's Civil Service Commission in March, citing a lack of overall leadership. Johnson was one of the candidates for the position at that time. 

A week later, Eylar changed course and offered the position to Don Redfield, from the Colville Tribal Police Department. The city council confirmed Eylar's selection, but the offer was ultimately rescinded earlier this month for reasons undisclosed on the advice of the city attorney. 

Eylar resigned as mayor last week due to medical issues, but he confirmed he was in talks with Johnson for the interim chief position at the same time he confirmed Redfield would not become the city's next police chief.  

Johnson said if the city re-advertises the chief position again, he will put in for the permanent role, but he wasn't sure what the city's plan was. 

Mayor Pro Tem Ruth Dalton, who became acting mayor last week, declined to comment on the interim appointment or the hiring process. 

Grant County Sheriff Chief Deputy Josh Sainsbury attended the council meeting and spoke of administrative help the sheriff's office has extended to GCPD through at least mid-June.

"It is a tough time - not just here and the county, but the nation - getting law enforcement," Sainsbury said. "We're going to do everything we can to support the police department and the city, and be good partners." 

Sainsbury said if there is need to bring Grant County deputies on for night coverage on a contract basis, that could happen. 

The department will soon find itself short another officer: Blake Martin accepted a position with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department and will resign as a Grand Coulee officer next week. He's not moving, and will continue to serve on the Electric City Council. But his resignation is one more sign that recruitment and retention remains a challenge for the department.

"I just really want to take care of the guys and their families," Johnson said. "That's the only way we're going to keep people here."