Complaint about top cop came from inside

By BRIAN KELLY
Bainbridge Island Review Editor
December 8, 2012 · 10:03 AM

The complaint that led to Bainbridge Island Police Commander Sue Shultz’s suspension in mid-November came from a fellow city employee, the city acknowledged Wednesday.

Shultz was put on paid administrative leave on Nov. 19, but officials have said little about her suspension since then.

Earlier this week, however, City Manager Doug Schulze said the city’s top commissioned officer was suspended after an internal complaint prompted an investigation into the allegations.

Shultz is scheduled to attend a pre-disciplinary hearing with the city manager on Monday, Dec. 10.

The city manager said an outside consultant was hired to look into the allegations against the police commander.

Schulze said Seabold Group, a Seattle-based consultant company, was contacted in August or September to handle the investigation.

The firm, which is led by a former special agent for the IRS and a form assistant U.S. attorney, specializes in workplace and litigation-related investigations, according to the company’s website.

The city has declined to release the report until after the pre-disciplinary hearing.

“It’s a pending personnel matter and until I’ve completed the process of doing my fact-finding, it would be inappropriate for me to release the report,” Schulze said.

Contact Bainbridge Island Review Editor Brian Kelly at editor@bainbridgereview.com or 1-206-842-6613.

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