Gresham police chief quits, again, after damning investigative report
Updated Feb 19, 2021;
Posted Feb 19, 2021
The chief said she was not quitting voluntarily this time, but rather because of the city’s handling of an outside report critical of her leadership. Brent Wojahn/Oregonian file photoLC- The Oregonian
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Gresham Police Chief Robin Sells resigned again Friday, the second time in eight months, over the city’s handling of an explosive personnel report that was critical of her.
In a long, written statement, Sells said she quit in reaction to the “city’s choice to release a deeply flawed report without affording me due process.” The report examined complaints filed both by Sells and Corey Falls, who worked for Sells in the police department before moving on to Gresham City Hall, that they’d been treated unfairly.
Race a factor in mistreatment of Gresham deputy city manager
Third-party findings show mistreatment of Deputy Manager Corey Falls; police resistance toward equity, inclusion
Accusations made by a prominent Gresham city employee about years of mistreatment, harassment and abuse while working at the Gresham Police Department and City Hall have been substantiated by a third-party, independent investigation.
Last summer Gresham City Council hired Paula Barran, of Barran Liebman LLP, to look into alleged incidents occurring within several city departments. At the request of the Gresham City Attorney s Office, the Portland-based law firm undertook an investigation into dueling complaints filed by Deputy City Manager Corey Falls and Chief of Police Robin Sells; the implementation and subsequent failure of 21st Century Policing strategies; and the effort to create an internal equity and inclusion plan.