Prineville, Ore. – Newly released records show Police Chief Jeff Profio had submitted a 90-day retirement notice effective November 26th, 2025 — a detail not disclosed in the city’s earlier announcement that described his resignation and retirement. The omission has prompted questions about whether Profio’s departure was accelerated by City Manager Steve Forrester and what led to his sudden exit less than a year into the job.
The City’s public relations contractor, Stingray Communications, issued a press release on August 29th announcing Profio’s retirement, only two days after Profio reportedly announced his retirement. But the release made no mention of the 90-day notice included in Profio’s formal letter to City Manager Steve Forrester, which was obtained in response to a public records request from the Prineville Review.
“We thank Chief Profio for his service to the community and commend him for his success at fostering positive relationships with members of our staff, the public, and our community partners,” City Manager Steve Forrester said in the statement released by Stingray. The statement went on to indicate a more immediate transition with the reappointment of Captain Shane Wilson as interim chief, a decision that reportedly rests with Forrester.
The City also released other email communications as part of our records request, but declined to release a large number of other emails, citing the State’s conditional exemption statute for records under ORS 192.345(12), which states “A personnel discipline action, or materials or documents supporting that action.” However, ORS 192.345’s conditional excemptions can be overridden in matters of public interest, but the City has ignored the Prineville Review for nearly a month after raising these challenges.
The move by the city in late August effectively ended Profio’s tenure months earlier than the retirement date listed in his letter. Neither Forrester nor most members of the City Council have responded to questions from the Prineville Review about the timeline. Several councilors declined to comment, while Mayor Beebee and Councilor Shane Howard issued brief thank-yous to Profio for his service. Councilor Marv Sumner said only that the matter was a “human-resources issue” he could not discuss.
A large number of councilors have repeatedly refused to comment and speak with the media on a number of issues in recent months, following allegations by Councilor Scott Smith that the Prineville Review had engaged in “harassment” over questioning of him following a council meeting regarding ties as well as knowledge to potential conflicts of interest concerning other officials in city government related to the proposed biomass facility.
Editor's Note: The Prineville Review is again preparing to challenge the City's failure to address the conditional exemption claims on other records it recently withheld from our requests. This process under the records law first involves a petition with the Crook County District Attorney.
Profio’s appointment in November 2024 followed an intensive hiring process intended to stabilize the department after years of controversy involving former Chief Larry Seymour and Captain Rob Gray. Both were placed on paid leave in 2023 during an investigation and later resigned with combined severance and leave payouts exceeding $677,000. The city also faced a whistleblower lawsuit from a former police manager alleging retaliation and misconduct tied to the prior administration. That litigation is still ongoing.
Profio’s short tenure was viewed as an opportunity to rebuild public trust, but his sudden departure has revived concerns over transparency and leadership within city government. No public meeting of the City Council has addressed the matter since the announcement, and it remains unclear why the city’s official communication omitted that information or whether additional circumstances led to the early change in command.
In his resignation letter, Profio thanked city leaders, fellow officers, and the community, writing, “After thoughtful consideration I have decided to retire after nearly 31 years as a full-time law enforcement professional. Although it is difficult to step away from this role, I am confident that the department is in good hands.”
With Wilson again serving as interim chief, the City of Prineville leadership faces renewed questions over police department management — and whether residents will get clear answers this time.
Calls placed again shortly before publication, offering Forrester a final opportunity before publication to comment, were unsuccessful. Forrester had also refused to comment in early September following the City Council’s first meeting following Profio’s resignation.
Note: An earlier version of this story had incorrectly identified Wilson as Nelson. We regret the error.
This is a developing story we will continue to work to bring you the latest on. If you wish to support our efforts related to public records disclosure, please click here.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject mater expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
