NB Interim Police Chief, Oct. 20

City of North Bend release – On Tuesday, North Bend City Administrator David Milliron named retired Coos Bay Police Chief Gary McCullough as interim police chief and Cal Mitts as interim police captain. The new command staff takes the helm on Wednesday. McCullough is a North Bend resident who began his law enforcement career in 1993 as a reserve police officer for the Coos Bay Police Department. He was sworn in as a full-time Police Officer in December of 1995 and promoted to Sergeant in 2002. In 2004, he was promoted to Captain, overseeing Patrol Operations and later Administrative Operations. In 2009, he was promoted to Chief of Police and faithfully served the department until retiring in June. During his career with Coos Bay, Chief McCullough has held the positions of Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Motorcycle Officer, Coos County Emergency Response Team member, Survival Skills Instructor, Patrol Sergeant, Operations Captain, and Administrative Captain. Chief McCullough has an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia Southern University, is a graduate of the Oregon Executive Development Institute, and holds his Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supervisory, Management, and Executive Certificates with the Oregon Department of Safety Standards and Training. Chief McCullough has also been very active in the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police, holding various leadership and executive roles.  “I have resided in North Bend for over 30 years, and I am looking forward to working with the men and women that make up the North Bend Police Department, City Staff, City Council, and members of this community,” McCullough said. Mitts retired in January after 25 years with the Coos Bay Police Department. He began his law enforcement career in 1994 as a Reserve Police Officer for Coos Bay and was sworn in as a full-time Police Officer in December of 1995. In 2004, he was promoted to Sergeant and then in 2008 to Captain, where he led Patrol Operations. In 2012, he was chosen to lead the South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team (SCINT) as its Executive Director. During his career with Coos Bay and SCINT, Captain Mitts has held the positions of Patrol Officer, Detective, Narcotics Detective, Firearms Instructor, Patrol Sergeant, Operations Captain, and Executive Director. He was also a Coos County Emergency Response Team and Coos County Major Crimes Team member. Captain Mitts also served on the Women’s Safety and Resource Board of Directors. Captain Mitts is a graduate of the Oregon Executive Development Institute and holds his Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Supervisory Certificates with the Oregon Department of Safety Standards and Training. “I am looking forward to working with the members of the North Bend Police Department and serving the community of North Bend,” Mitts said. McCullough and Mitts are both military veterans; McCullough served in the United States Navy and Mitts in the United States Army. “Chief McCullough and Captain Mitts are professional law enforcement veterans with the highest leadership ability, dedication, and solid ethics,” Milliron said. Among his tasks for North Bend, McCullough will assist the city in assessing future needs, developing long-term strategies for the city’s police department, and assisting in recruiting and onboarding a permanent chief who will lead North Bend into the future. McCullough said he is not seeking out the permanent chief position because he would like to focus on his family.  “Once we have a roadmap and the police department is stabilized, we can begin the collaborative process of recruiting and hiring a new police chief, which could take up to a year,” Milliron said. “I want to express my thanks and appreciation to Coos Bay City Manager Rodger Craddock, Coos Bay Police Chief Chris Chapanar, Police Captains Michael Shaffer and Tom Lindahl, and Coos County District Attorney R. Paul Frasier for their leadership and assistance during the past two weeks. Our strong, trusting, and authentic relationships came to light during this period of transition.” Building community and maintaining public trust for all remains our local government’s primary mission. Therefore, as requested by the City Council, North Bend will continue to move forward with plans for a 360-degree operational assessment of the police department. The interim police chief and supervisory staff will have an opportunity to provide input into the request for proposal document before being put out for bid.