BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson has filled five leadership vacancies in his agency, including the two captains. Sheriff Nelson tells KBND News he received a lot of input from staff and the public over the last month. "This new process of identifying the next generation of supervisors here, it’s already fostered a new culture within our organization and it has positively effected our operations by changing how we work together, how we have a two-way communication so we make sure to capture input. So, it just strengthens our sheriff’s office team."
Detective Captain John Bocciolatt replaces Scott Beard who was fired for allegedly embezzling from the department. Sheriff Nelson says Captain Bocciolatt brings 28-years of experience with the Portland Police Bureau, most recently with the Internal Affairs division. "I’m excited about that piece because it’ll bring in a fresh perspective. Captain Bocciolatt has already been identifying areas where we can adjust procedure or add to policy. It’s been an asset."