COTTAGE GROVE – In early January, four Cottage Grove Police Department staff were placed on paid administrative leave, pending the completion of investigations into their conduct, according to Cottage Grove assistant city manager Jake Boone.
He also confirmed that the three sergeants and a dispatch supervisor at CGPD are still under investigation, so he is unable to comment further on it.
While those staffers are under investigation, this reduces the number of officers the department can deploy. The CGPD has been experiencing a personnel shortage, and Boone said the department is in the process of hiring more officers. In the meantime, the Eugene Police Department and Lane County Sheriff‘s Office have been brought in to assist the CGPD.
Boone said the personnel shortage is no threat to public safety. He added that patrols are continuing like normal. He also praised the department‘s interim chief, Jeff Groth, for his work over the past few months.
“We brought in an interim chief who has been doing a great deal of work to find any deficiencies in our police department and bring them up to standard,” Boone said.
