Chuck Atkins announced his command staff appointments Thursday, providing further insight into the leadership team that will soon be guiding the Clark County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff-elect used his Facebook page to announce four appointments.
“Every county sheriff in Washington state has a certain number of appointments he or she can make in order to form the sheriff’s command staff,’’ Atkins wrote. “I firmly believe that these appointments should be based on law enforcement experience and leadership ability. I’m very happy to announce that my selections meet this criteria and that the citizens of Clark County will be well served by their leadership in the new Clark County Sheriff’s Office.’’
Atkins defeated Shane Gardner in the Nov. 4 general election. Here is a look at the individuals who will make up his command staff, including bios offered by Atkins in his announcement:
Undersheriff Mike Cooke
Cooke is a 25-year law enforcement veteran who started his career in the San Francisco Bay area. He lateraled to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office in 1994 and has extensive experience as a street cop, patrol sergeant, and commander. He is currently the commander of the Clark-Vancouver Regional Drug Task Force.
Cooke has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Concordia University and a Master of Criminal Justice graduate degree from Boston University.
“As undersheriff, Mike will assist me in the overall operations of the sheriff’s office,’’ Atkins wrote.
Chief Criminal Deputy John Chapman
Chapman is a 31-year law enforcement veteran who started his career as a police officer in southern California before lateraling to the Vancouver Police Department. He is currently a lieutenant with the Vancouver Police Department.
Chapman has extensive experience in patrol operations, SWAT, and investigations. He also has a degree in Business Management from Concordia University and a Master of Public Affairs graduate degree from Washington State University. The chief criminal deputy oversees all enforcement operations of the sheriff’s office including patrol and investigations.
Chief Corrections Deputy Ric Bishop
Bishop is currently the Chief Corrections Deputy and will remain in this position. He is a 30-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office with extensive experience in jail management. He is also a well-known speaker and consultant on the topic of risk identification and mitigation for local jails.
Bishop has an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Clark College and is a graduate of the National Institute of Corrections Executive Excellence program. The chief corrections deputy oversees all jail operations.
Chief Civil Deputy Steve Shea
Shea is a 29-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and is currently the precinct commander at the West Precinct. He has extensive experience as a manager in many areas including traffic-homicide, training, marine enforcement, and case/records management.
Shea has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Eastern Washington University and has been selected to attend the FBI National Academy executive management school. The chief civil deputy oversees all the civil functions of the sheriff’s office including records, property and evidence management, and other support functions.
“I am very pleased with my command staff selections,’’ Atkins said. “These law enforcement veterans have proven themselves as capable street-level officers but also as capable and accomplished managers. They are respected by their peers as leaders in law enforcement and as managers who have not lost touch with the men and women who daily put themselves in harms way to keep our community safe.’’
Atkins announcement caught at least one current command staff member by surprise.
“Well, today I am completely speechless,’’ wrote Erin Nolan on her Facebook page on Nov. 13, the same day as Atkins’ announcement. “I learned about the new administrative appointments via a Facebook post early this morning. Unfortunately I have been out of town at a training conference and not as ‘connected’ as I might routinely be.’’
Nolan currently serves as the chief civil deputy on the command staff of Sheriff Garry Lucas, who did not seek re-election after 24 years in the position.
“I congratulate the new sheriff and his appointees in their new roles going forward,’’ Nolan wrote. “You can imagine how awkward it feels to read that one of the positions is actually a position that I currently fill. I am stunned to learn that I am retiring, as I’m not yet eligible. I guess I anticipated that there would be changes coming. Perhaps they are bigger and more far reaching than I anticipated.’’
Atkins also reported that his transition to office will continue in the upcoming days and weeks.
“Over the next several weeks my management team and I will move forward with our transition planning so we’re ready to assume management of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office on January 1, 2015,’’ he wrote. “As you can imagine there is a lot of work to be done between now and January 1st. I have been in contact with Garry Lucas about transition planning and we are currently working through those details. He has assured me that he will attempt to make the transition as smooth as possible.’’
Atkins said his “plan at this point is to open a transition office somewhere downtown but outside of the headquarters building. We’ll use this space to meet as a transition team and to thoughtfully consider any organizational changes we may make. We plan to meet with a variety of employees to seek their input and to determine what immediate changes need to be made.
“My goal over the next four years is to make sure the Clark County Sheriff’s Office is focused on its core mission of keeping this community safe in a professional and accountable manner,’’ Atkins said. “As we evaluate possible changes, we will always keep this core mission in mind.’’
