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Third straight DPS director leaves under weird circumstances.

Update: Wondering how DPS managed to increase spending from $2.8 million in 2010 to $4.0 million in 2012? Financial Transparency reports here.

A few days ago the RG had a story on the $2.8 million budget for security at the Olympic trials, $500,000 of which came from an emergency state appropriation. Then our DPS Director resigns the day before it starts, effective immediately?

I do not believe this email from Jamie Moffitt. If there are legitimate reasons for keeping things secret, then at least tell us you can’t tell us the whole truth. The UO administration has zero credibility on DPS now.

Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2012 10:20 AM
To: Deans-Dirs List ([email protected])
Subject: deans-dirs: Campus Communication

Message on Behalf of Jamie Moffitt, Vice President for Finance and Administration

Campus Communication

Doug Tripp, executive director of the UO Department of Public Safety and chief of police, has informed me of his plans to return to the Midwest in order to move closer to his extended family.  Given the importance of the University’s police department transition plans, Chief Tripp has stepped down from his leadership role so that the University of Oregon can select a permanent replacement who will see this transition through to completion.  I have asked Carolyn McDermed to serve as interim executive director and interim chief, effective immediately, while a national search is conducted for a permanent police chief.

Until Chief Tripp secures a new position in the Midwest region, I have asked him to serve in an advisory capacity, assisting me with specific issues related to police department transition planning.

I want to thank Chief Tripp for his years of service to the UO.  He has been instrumental in helping define and lead the transition from a campus public safety department to a sworn police force.  We wish him well in his future endeavors and appreciate his current effort to ensure a seamless leadership transition for the department.

In addition to running the department’s day-to-day operations, Interim Chief McDermed will be tasked with continuing the University’s police transition until a permanent police chief is named.

The University of Oregon remains dedicated to implementing a community-oriented and trust-based policing model that addresses the unique safety and security needs of UO students, faculty, staff and visitors.  The staff of the Department of Public Safety has shown a strong commitment to these ideals and I know that they will continue to deliver on that promise under Interim Chief McDermed’s able leadership.

Jamie Moffitt
Vice President for Finance and Administration & CFO University of Oregon
541-346-3003
[email protected]

While just 8 days ago, this:

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kathy Warden
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 11:31 AM
To: ‘[email protected]
Subject: deans-dirs: Campus Update on Police Department Transition

Sent on behalf of Jamie Moffitt –

To: UO Deans & Directors

From: Jamie Moffitt, Vice President for Finance and Administration and CFO

Subject: Campus Update on Police Department Transition

Last year both the legislature and the State Board of Higher Education approved the transition of our campus security department into a police department.   The University officially established the UO police department on January 1, 2012 and several officers have now been commissioned and sworn as police. These police officers have the same authorities as others in the state and are required by Oregon law to clearly identify themselves as police. For this reason, you will soon notice University of Oregon police officers in new uniforms on campus. http://dailyemerald.com/2012/06/11/dps-police-officers-to-wear-new-uniforms/.

The UO police officers will have the same equipment currently carried by UODPS public safety officers. During the next academic year, the university will host a variety of campus discussions about the issue of arming campus police. These discussions will allow for broad participation by students, faculty and staff. After those discussions and no earlier than Spring 2013, university leadership will make a recommendation to the state board of higher education on whether to arm our police.

Please visit police.uoregon.edu to learn more about the UO police department transition. Also, if you have questions, we’d love for you to join us at an informal “Coffee with the Chief” that we will be hosting later this summer. This will be the first of many opportunities for campus community members to meet with our Police Chief to further discuss the policing transition.

Please share this with others in your department who may be interested.

###

38 Comments

  1. Anonymous 06/21/2012

    This makes no sense. Doug Trip just graduated from the police academy last week or so right? It was something like 5 or 6 months for that training and now he just suddenly steps down? Doug Trip is moving back to the midwest suddenly but staying on as an advisor while Carol McDermmet is seeing the change to police through? Moffit and others are not being straight here again. Wasn’t the last boss at the DPS terminated too? There is a lot going on here that we are not being told and will probably never know about.

  2. Anonymous 06/21/2012

    I think it’s a matter of needing a police chief who knows how to be a police chief, not a fresh from the academy rookie.

  3. Anonymous 06/21/2012

    Doug allegedly did not pass the pistol testing at the police academy and was to be forced to take a remedial class to be given another chance to pass. What use is a cop who can’t aim and hit a target? I understand that Doug has no previous police experience but he was made the head of university police. Astonishing.

  4. Anonymous 06/21/2012

    Hmmm..

    Chief graduates DPSST academy
    Congratulations to University of Oregon Police Chief Doug Tripp, who graduated from the state basic police academy on June 15.

    Tripp entered the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) academy class No. 330 on February 26. He’ll return to campus June 19 to join the other six active commissioned police officers serving the university. Two other UODPS officers, sergeants Scott Clark and Scott Geeting, are in DPSST academy class No. 332, scheduled to graduate and return to campus in August.

  5. Anonymous 06/22/2012

    Good riddance. Nobody likes a petty tyrant.

  6. Anonymous 06/22/2012

    There’s something going here, that’s for sure.

    The author’s statement about the poor timing in relation to the trials doesn’t hold water however. I mean, the guy was at the academy for the last 4 months, I’m guessing he didn’t play a huge role in the planning for the trials.

    Whatever, so long as the UO joins the 21st century and supports the institution of an armed and professional police department – I’ll be happy (and you’ll be safer).

    – Local LE Officer

  7. Anonymous 06/22/2012

    Adios. I am amazed that Doug was ever hired for this job. His only experience has been working security prior to this. UO needs to get it together and screen their hires more carefully instead of picking the left overs.

    • Anonymous 10/24/2012

      Hello, I am Doug Tripp’s daughter; living in Wisconsin (considered part of the midwest). My dad isn’t perfect by anyone’s standards, but he really did try to be the best he could be in this position. He has far more experience, intelligence, and inguinity than an individual in a security guard position. As a criminal justice major I have learned the importance of the positions that my father has held over the years. The aspects of securing a building, for example, are so easily overseen by most people. However, “Doug” has a talent for being innovative while yet having a little “old-school” in him. What I would like to say, is that it is so easy to judge another human being. Yet, what would you do or how would you act if put in the same position? I believe my dad bit off more than he could chew; but at least he went for it. He didn’t give up. I have no idea if he was fired or resigned or what, but does it matter?? Work on the solution, the future. Get off this bullshit of “Doug Tripp”. Regardless of what happened while he’s been at UO, the world will continue to turn and time will continue to pass.

  8. Anonymous 06/22/2012

    If you talk to anyone who worked there, he was a tyrant with a major ego disorder. They were not sad he got canned. Btw “moving the family to the Midwest” and “advisor” is just UO code for we canned his a$$, but Oregon law(their interpretation) prevents us from telling you all that.

  9. Anonymous 06/22/2012

    Spot on with all of this so far. My understanding is that Douglas graduated from the police academy on Friday and went to Las Vegas for a conference and when he returned Tuesday morning for work he went to a normally scheduled meeting at Johnson Hall and was told his services as public safety director would no longer be needed. Douglas is on a contract so of course the U of O must continue to pay his outrageous salary of nearly $130,000 a year until his contract is up. I am rather curious if any of this might have had to do with all the money public safety was spending after selling the police initiative on that ludicrous claim that the U of O would save $70,000 a year by switching to a police department. How much is a big pickup truck or a Chevy Tahoe these days? Guns? New uniforms and badges? And yes Douglas’s ego was out of hand. Probably thought himself to be untouchable. Tuesday morning must have had him wetting his panties.

  10. Anonymous 06/22/2012

    It was the administration, not DPS, that was selling the supposed savings in order to get their own police department. I don’t think anyone was fooled by the (lack of) savings. Besides, it was never about money or providing policing services or even keeping the kids safe. It was all about status and how UO continues to not stack up to the cool kids in the AAU or Pac12.

    My snarky side wants to note the lack of a swoosh on the new duds. Maybe Tripp was fired for refusing to approve ones designed in Beaverton.

    • Anonymous 06/22/2012

      The beauty of this site is that it reminds us of the crazies in our midst, such as poster “CoolKids”.

  11. Anonymous 06/22/2012

    at least the swoop folks in beaverton are competent at what they do. I don’t necessarilly oppose the idea of a UO police department, I just don’t yet see the administrative competence or oversight structure to do it as well as a real police department.

  12. Anonymous 06/23/2012

    What is the difference between $70,000 and $1.2 million? That would be $1.13 million and the bogus promise of a $70,000 savings. Look at the mumbo jumbo language used in the financial report. Is it illegal to knowingly misrepresent this sort of data to the legislature? I find it hard to believe that the administration believe there was any savings to be had. I think a call for an audit and investigation needs to be made.

  13. Anonymous 06/23/2012

    Don’t for a minute think you have something good in McDermed. She’s damaged goods, lots of personal history that isn’t commonly known. The outer persona hides a wealth of internal problems.

  14. Anonymous 06/23/2012

    Mcdermed is not fit to be The Chief of a Police Department, there are many components to being a Chief interim or otherwise; of a Police Agenncy. She must learn just to be at the level of Lieutenant; and didnt master that; probably why she didnt finish her career out at Eugene PD as a Lieutenant.

  15. Anonymous 06/23/2012

    Looks like Jamie Moffitt is starting to clean up some of UO’s obvious budget and management problems. Maybe she’ll turn her attention to athletics next – I hear there have been a lot of problems with how their finances have been managed.

  16. Anonymous 06/23/2012

    Will she clean up her own mess over in Athletics?

  17. Anonymous 06/24/2012

    Doug Tripp’s job was already posted in the Register Guard. The ink didn’t even dry on his termination papers. This tells me that Doug Tripp was on his way out a while back. And let’s face it here that the odds of him having stepped down are less than zero. This guy didn’t just go to the police academy and come back and resign. I just wish the administration would be honest about this for once. If you want to promote a police department based on trust then maybe you should start by trusting people with the truth.

  18. Anonymous 06/24/2012

    For all the ladies and women who work at UODPS GOODBYE and GOOD RIDDANCE to one of the worlds biggest male chauvinist pigs, I am sorry it could not have come sooner for the fine friends we have lost at UODPS. There only crime or offense was being women. The medical bills for stress for managers will really go down now that the tyrant has been dethroned.

  19. Anonymous 06/24/2012

    Goodbye Doug Tripp-We will never know the true story of why you were kicked out but really I do not care, the air is fresher and the Dept. cleaner. Do you want one of 2 ATV”s you wasted more money on, or the paddy wagon to ride out of town on. Good Bye and AMEN

  20. Anonymous 06/30/2012

    I just found out about Doug Tripp leaving and nothing could be better for DPS and the campus. Doug’s enormous ego and narcissistic personality was bad to all of the good people at DPS. I hope this is just the beginning of some badly needed house cleaning at DPS. What sort of police department hires an alleged groper, a EPD reject and a guy accused multiple times of sexual harassment? Many people employed at DPS could not get hired by or make it at any other police department for a reason. I hope the hiring process at DPS vastly improves.

  21. Anonymous 07/03/2012

    I have been following the comments about Chief Tripp, and find them disturbing in the breadth of facutal inaccuracies. DPS has improved considerably under his leadership. He has promoted women into key leadership positions in the department. Tripp also has taken swift action against employees who have not acted with integrity, violated others rights or have misused their authority (maybe one or two have already commented on this thread?). He is not egotistical, narcissitic or whatever label you choose to demean him with. Tripp served the community selflessly, and the thanks he gets is your demonization. The comments on this blog border, and likely cross the line of libel. DPS will go on without Tripp, and will probably continue to improve because of the quality people he put into place to include Carolyn McDermed. Leave the guy alone, he did his thankless duty at UO.

    • Anonymous 07/15/2012

      You’re obviously one of his few, if not only, idiotic lackeys. He didn’t put McDermed into place. Check your history. Kevin Williams was chief when she signed on and Tripp was only assistant chief. He has promoted not a single woman. He has demonstrated obvious disdain for women in power…probably stemming from his little man complex that he manifests by firing as many women as possible, throwing hissy fit temper tantrums when he doesn’t get his way, and acting like an immature little bully with a serious histrionic personality disorder. Get a clue! You’re the only imbecile drinking his Kool-Aid.

    • UO Matters 07/15/2012

      I don’t think words like idiotic lackey etc move the discussion forward. It sounds like you have some inside knowledge about DPS though. How about sharing facts that you might know – decisions to buy all those 4×4’s, accounting issues, who decided to underestimate the costs of the police transition and then present those underestimates to the legislature in sworn testimony, etc. We all want DPS to be well run, not many of us trust the administration to figure out how to do it without some sunlight. Help us out!

  22. Anonymous 07/03/2012

    To be factual; Kevin Williams hired Carolyn McDermed

  23. Anonymous 07/04/2012

    “I have been following the comments about Chief Tripp” You mean former Chief Tripp, right? You reap what you sow. He will not be missed. You must be his mother.

    • Anonymous 01/27/2013

      My bets are it’s him, not his mother.

  24. UO Matters 07/04/2012

    I would like to keep this thread focused on the facts. Does anyone know anything more about why Tripp was fired? Was there an audit? Was there a performance review? Was the Senate committee informed or consulted?

  25. Anonymous 07/04/2012

    One telling fact was the number of employees who left DPS during his tenure. This is a broad indicator of something amiss at DPS. Tripp was in charge – and therefore ultimately responsible.

  26. Anonymous 07/13/2012

    Tripp was not fired, there is no indication of that occurring.

    Knowing that he had to face a history of personnel problems in the department I am not surprised that there are few people out there that hold a grudge.

    He was a game changer whether you agree or not. There are consequences with changing organizational culture.

    His biggest challenge in the end was a rouge manager who was poorly supervised by the new interim director. Oh well I am sure we will be visiting this again when Moffitt decides to discard another public safety director in a year or two.

  27. Anonymous 07/16/2012

    Tripp was terminated. Period. The only game changers were his administrative staff that he heavily relied on. He was in over his head and it finally caught up to him. Every single decision made in that place came across his desk. He was a micro manager who knew what was going on. Stop trying to blame his failure on someone else. This is what happens when you hire a police chief who has never been a cop.

  28. Anonymous 07/27/2012

    Tripp hired 8 female OAs or managers during his tenure. Sounds pretty good to me for less than five years. Let’s get the facts right.

    Also, Tripp chaired the McDermed search committee, recommended her hire and supervised her. Let’s work on the facts.

  29. Anonymous 08/03/2012

    I am not clear on what “rouge manager” means… someone that runs the make-up counter?

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