Interim Bend Police Chief Jim Porter was sworn in this morning to permanently assume the position.
Dozens were in attendance at the swearing-in ceremony at the Bend Municipal Court.
City Manager Eric King began the ceremony. “[Porter] has proven himself fully capable of leading this department these past six months,” King said before recounting Porter’s 22 years with the department.
“I’ve known Jim Porter since nearly the inception of his career,” said Judge Alta Brady. “If you had told me when I first met him that he was going to be police chief for the City of Bend,” Brady paused for laughter before adding, “I would have said I don’t doubt it.”
“Even from the start he had an incredibly strong sense of duty, his ethics were beyond reproach, and he had an unwavering commitment to protection of the community he was sworn to serve.”
After being sworn in, Chief Porter called attention to his department. “I know today is about me, but it’s not. It’s about this organization that serves the people of Bend every day. The men and women who are up late at night, all night, sometimes 24-hour shifts, and still be resilient and come back the next day.”
Chief Porter was assigned to interim chief in January 2014 after then-chief Jeff Sale was terminated.
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