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Prineville police chief says 2024 was a year of transition; dispatch staffing remains thin
Summary
Police Chief Jeff Profio told the Prineville City Council the department stabilized during a difficult 2024, with fewer arrests and use-of-force incidents, but Crook County 9‑1‑1 staffing remains short — 6.3 of 13.3 budgeted FTEs — producing overtime and recruitment challenges.
Prineville Police Chief Jeff Profio told the City Council the department’s 2024 year “is a story of transition” and that leadership and rank-and-file officers held service levels steady through turnover and internal change.
Profio said several operational measures declined in 2024 — arrests, use-of-force incidents and “CAT” (major) incidents — while 9‑1‑1 calls rose. He also told councilors the department logged a substantial increase in overtime hours as members covered gaps while leadership and staffing were reorganized.
The nut graph: The chief presented the department’s annual report as evidence that Prineville’s police force has stabilized after a turbulent period, but he and staff warned the council that Crook County 9‑1‑1 remains understaffed and that filling dispatcher positions is a pressing operational need.
Profio credited interim local leaders and staff for what he called “amazing improvements” and said morale has improved. He listed promotions and hires completed during the year — including two sergeants and a newly hired mental-health officer — and said the department added equipment and updated some training programs. “The change was rapid,” Profio said of the department’s transition.
Profio highlighted Crook County 9‑1‑1 as an urgent area of focus. He said the communications center handled about 39,740 incidents in 2024 and that 50% of the time a single dispatcher was on duty. “They are currently only at 6.3 out of 13.3 budgeted FTEs,” Profio said, noting the shortfall increases overtime and operational stress.
Katie Kemper, identified in the meeting as interim 9‑1‑1 director, told councilors she has led recruitment and that the department recently posted openings on multiple job platforms and is working with Central Oregon Community College (COCC). Human Resources Director Carrie Miller said a nationwide shortage of dispatchers complicates hiring and that exit interviews show career advancement as a frequent reason employees leave for other organizations.
Councilors pressed staff on recruiting tactics and whether the city could expedite background checks or increase outreach to schools. Carrie Miller described the state’s certification and background requirements and said the city is exploring faster processing where possible without lowering standards. Kemper said the city has added job-posting channels including Indeed, ZipRecruiter and LinkedIn and that the department is testing targeted public‑safety recruiting platforms.
On equipment and programs, Profio said the department is updating firearms training, implementing new evidence software and exploring scheduling and training software to ease dispatch workloads. He also noted community outreach events such as “Shop with a Cop” and said two new indoor-capable drones were added to the fleet.
Ending: Councilors expressed willingness to help with recruitment outreach and asked staff to return with more detail on recruitment outcomes and candidate pipelines. Profio and staff said they will continue to report progress on 9‑1‑1 staffing and training improvements.
