GCSO internal affairs investigation into time reporting yields mixed results

An investigation into allegations of inappropriate time reporting on the part of Grant County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division Chief Ken Jones was completed with mixed results, according to a report from Capt. Edgar Reinfeld of the Wenatchee Police Department, the agency that conducted the inquiry.

“Based on the totality of the investigation and interviews conducted, I do not believe there was any intent to defraud Grant County or the Grant County Sheriff’s Office in respect to Chief Jones and his leave use in conjunction with working off-duty employment for Seattle’s Finest (Security & Traffic Control),” Reinfeld said in his findings summary.

After reviewing the documentation provided by Reinfeld, Grant County Undersheriff Ryan Rectenwald found Jones to be overall exonerated, with departmental requirements for time worked for exempt – non-hourly – staff met by Jones.

“Chief Deputy Ken Jones has been exonerated of wrongdoing following an internal investigation of an allegation of leave and timecard discrepancies as it related to off-duty work (he) engaged in,” a statement from GCSO spokesman Kyle Foreman said.

Jones, who is the brother of Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones, was exonerated in three instances of inappropriate timekeeping by Reinfeld. In another two instances of timecard inaccuracies, WPD’s investigation led to a result of “not sustained,” meaning the investigation was either inconclusive or found no cause for concern. However, in three instances, the complaints toward Jones were found to be sustained by Reinfeld.

In his report, Reinfeld said he examined leave reports, a work log, timesheets and news articles in the course of his investigation. He also indicated he interviewed current and former GCSO deputies and staff members.

The situation, which led to the resignation of former Chief Deputy Darrik Gregg and former Chief Deputy Dustin Canfield, began when Jones made statements to his subordinates claiming he had made more than $50,000 working for Seattle’s Finest Security & Traffic Control in 2020. After an unidentified deputy in the department reviewed Jones’s vacation balances, GCSO deputies became concerned about the situation due to Jones not having used many consecutive leave days in 2020. An initial investigation within GCSO found no wrongdoing on Jones’s part; however, the issue continued to affect morale at the agency.

“An initial review was conducted and found no problems,” Reinfeld said in his report to Sheriff Jones and Rectenwald. “Perception in the agency was contrary to this finding and stress grew in the Sheriff’s Office.”

That stress, according to Reinfeld, led to Gregg’s and Canfield’s resignations. While Gregg’s resignation letter was not specific, Canfield was forthcoming regarding his reasons for resigning.

“I want you to know I truly appreciate the opportunity to have served as a chief deputy with this administration for nearly the past three years,” Canfield’s letter read. “A position I have held with honor and a team I believed would continue to accomplish great things. Although, as you are aware, a very unfortunate series of events have occurred and the manner in which they were handled, something I cannot support. After countless prayers and deep consideration, I cannot continue as a member of this team and organization. To continue would be against who I am and what I believe in.”

In detailing the eight instances wherein any time discrepancies were reported, Reinfeld found specific instances of timecard concerns on Jan. 2, 2020, July 23, 2020, and Aug. 9-10, 2020, were in good order.

Timecards for Feb. 13-15, 2020, were found to have discrepancies wherein Jones reported time worked in GCSO’s time-keeping system, NovaTime, but did not necessarily work hours identical to those reported. A similar situation occurred for March 29-30, 2020, according to Reinfeld’s report. However, in both instances, no significant deviation was found and Jones worked the required 80 hours for that two-week reporting period, despite timecard issues.

In the three situations in which allegations were considered sustained by Reinfeld, reported time did not match hours worked, though a subsequent letter from Rectenwald indicated Jones worked more than the requisite 80 hours for each of the three reporting periods in question.

Both Rectenwald and Reinfeld found changes were necessary for policies and procedures at GCSO regarding timekeeping, especially for exempt staff.

Reinfeld’s recommendations included establishing a central scheduling system for all GCSO staff, updating policies for outside employment, reporting actual time worked in the NovaTime system rather than estimated time, adding a clearer nepotism policy to GCSO’s policy manual, creating written expectations for all positions in the department, establishing limits when issuing outside employment letters and including all staff in strategic planning rather than GCSO’s prior practice of only including senior staff and updating other relevant policies.

“It has become evident through this process that there are policies the Sheriff’s Office needs to implement and other policies that need to be updated and clarified for all staff,” Rectenwald said in his findings letter. “The sheriff is committed to doing this work.”

Sheriff Jones said via telephone he is committed to transparency and ensuring the people of Grant County can have faith in him and his officers. He said he holds his brother as much or more accountable as he does other staff and expects him to perform at a high level.

“(Chief Jones’s) got the busiest division in the sheriff’s office, which is the patrol division. He probably gets more phone calls off-duty than any other administrator in our office, and I can say that for certain,” Sheriff Jones said. “And so, none of that time that he uses on the phone answering the phone, talking to the lieutenant, patrol (officers and) shift supervisors – none of that’s documented on a timesheet.”