Rules for Thee, but not for Me?

On Friday November 17, at 12:55, captain Bailey posted on his campaign Facebook page details of an event he had attended the prior day. The body of his post reads:

“Started yesterday early by talking with local leaders in Redmond, and by lunch was connecting with community members while serving Thanksgiving lunch at the La Pine Activity Center. It is an honor to serve Deschutes County on and off duty.”

Included in his post were two pictures showing him serving food to folks at the La Pine Activity Center — A worthy cause. In the photos, Captain Bailey is not in his uniform and is wearing clothing advertising his campaign. Also present in the photographs is Lieutenant Joe Deluca. Lieutenant DeLuca is dressed in his Sheriff’s Office uniform and reports directly to captain Bailey.

Given the content of his post and what he was wearing Bill Bailey is clearly de facto campaigning. Arguing to the contrary would be laughable and frankly insulting

Recently Captain Paul Garrison, commander of the detective division, put out a memo that all Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office employees had to sign. This voluminous four page memo lays out in mind numbing and painstaking detail what Sheriff’s Office Employees can and cannot do during the election season. In the memo Garrison writes:

“Sheriff Nelson has appointed me to address all issues involving political activity by DCSO employees for the 2024 election cycle.”

Garrison also writes on page 2 under “Summary — Prohibited Political Activity by Members”, items 3, 4 and 5 the following:

“3. Never wear your uniform or other DCSO clothing, insignia or badge while engaged in supporting or opposing a candidate for public office or supporting or opposing a ballot measure.

4. Do not spend work time or county resources to support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure, which includes preparing materials, asking for donations, putting up signs, or sending emails supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure.

5. When appearing at a public event to support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure, make it clear at the beginning of the event that you are not there on-duty and that you are not there as a DCSO representative.”

Furthermore, on Page 3 of the memo Garrison continues:

“No public employee is allowed to be involved in promoting or opposing any candidate or ballot measure while on the job during working hours. The idea of declaring that you are on a break and therefore such a conversation is okay to have at work is not acceptable. This includes asking for donations for a candidate or ballot measure; putting up signs for a candidate or ballot measure; handing out election materials supporting a candidate or ballot measure; talking to co-workers about the virtues or faults of a candidate or ballot measure; or preparing a speech, letter, press release or mailing that supports or opposes a candidate or ballot measure.

This prohibition applies to all public employees, including a public employee who is an actual candidate for office — they cannot promote themselves or oppose another candidate or ballot measure while on-duty”

Further down on the same page Garrison writes:

DCSO employees, including candidates for public office, must NEVER wear their uniform or DCSO issued clothing, or DCSO insignia or badge when promoting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure. Doing so would make it appear that the member was in fact supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure while on-duty and representing DCSO.

DCSO policy 1.02 requires that uniforms only be worn while conducting Sheriff’s Office duties.

Promoting or opposing a candidate for public office is NEVER considered to be part of a public employee’s duties.”

Based on the full set of circumstances, captain Bailey was either promoting a candidate (himself) while on the job and during working hours, or lieutenant Joe Deluca was violating items 3, 4, and 5 under “Summary — Prohibited Political Activity by Members”… or both.

Now we wouldn’t be surprised if an argument is made that Lieutenant Deluca wasn’t at the La Pine Activity Center supporting Captain Bailey, but was simply there to as a representative for the Sheriff’s Office. Sorry folks, that’s doesn’t come anywhere close to passing the smell test.

So captain Paul Garrison is presented with somewhat of a problem: Does he show the courage and intestinal fortitude to do something about this by opening an unbiased internal investigation and risk upsetting the anointed one and his pal, or does he abdicate his duty and responsibility, cover for the dynamic duo and deploy DJ Spinmeister and Public “Information” Officer Jason Wall to try and spin his way out of this?

We would hope that Captain Garrison, who is in his last couple of years at the Sheriff’s Office, will finally stand up and do the right thing instead of adhering to some bizarre and outdated loyalty code that seems to permeate the upper ranks of the Sheriff’s Office. We aren’t holding our breath.

We have provided screenshots of whole memo for your enjoyment. It makes for great bedtime reading.

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