Ouray fires police chief, citing behavior concerns, violations of law
Jeff Wood's termination comes after months of turmoil and public demand for the city to terminate his employment. Wood had been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 29.
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The city of Ouray fired its police chief today, citing a list of concerns about his behavior and leadership of the department, as well as violations of state law and poor work performance.
The termination comes after months of turmoil and public demand for Police Chief Jeff Wood to resign or for the city to terminate his employment. Wood had been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 29, pending the outcome of the criminal trial involving his stepson and two others for alleged sexual assault. The case involved an alleged rape in his home, while Wood slept upstairs.
It also comes after two internal investigations into the department stemming from three complaints about officer and supervisor conduct, the culture of the department, and lack of compliance with the department’s standards and state law.
The consultant hired by the city to conduct the investigations, Municipal Police Consultants, is also in the midst of a top-to-bottom audit of the police department to identify its shortcomings and strengths.
“I no longer trust you to comply with policy, let alone enforce it or lead by example, and I do not trust your judgment to lead the police department,” City Administrator Silas Clarke wrote in the termination letter.
Wood declined to comment and referred questions to his attorney, who did not respond to a request for comment from the Plaindealer on Monday.
