Scott Swanson
Brian Prather is the newest addition to the Sweet Home Police Department and the latest in a stream of officers who have grown up locally and have opted to join the force.
He is also the latest in a series of military veterans who have joined the SHPD.
Also, Police Chief Jeff Lynn noted when Prather was sworn in on Jan. 23, his hiring gives the department a full staff for the first time in quite a while. He later said it has been almost two years since every position was filled.
Prather, 26, was born and raised in Sweet Home, graduating from Sweet Home High School in 2010. He said he spent a year working before deciding to join the Air Force.
“I decided to join the Air Force because, at the time, I didn’t feel like I wanted to go to college and without a college education or that kind of experience, it would be pretty hard to get a decent-paying job, especially when you were 19 years old.”
He served at military installations in California, Alaska and Arizona, spending six years and nine months in the service as a Air Force Security Forces officer. He said he progressed from gate duty to patrol and then finished as a dispatcher.
“I had a lot more broad experience than some people,” he said. “People get stuck in one place; they get burned. It was a good experience. If I had to go back, I would do it again, for sure, though maybe not for seven years.”
Prather said he enjoyed Alaska the most. Stationed near Anchorage, he liked the “endless possibilities” for outdoor recreation.
“Alaska was a lot like Oregon, but just a little colder. I did a lot of salmon fishing – kings, reds, silvers.”
An E5 staff sergeant and closing in on seven years in the service by that time, he decided to apply at SHPD and did so late last summer.
“My plan was, back when I joined, was to do my six years, and when I got out, to come work for the Sweet Home Police Department. It ended up working out.”
He said he didn’t hear anything “for a while” and had resigned himself to going to school when he got a call in the fall from SHPD’s Cindi Pichardo.
“She asked if I was still interested. I said, ‘of course.'”
Lynn acknowledged that the law enforcement hiring process, which includes a bevy of tests and background checks, is a long one.
“It takes a long time,” he said. “We just can’t speed it up.”
Prather is well into a 32-week training process by accompanying veteran officers and then will move on to other training, including 16 weeks at the Oregon Public Safety Academy starting in April, Lynn said.
The way things worked out, Prather said, was just right.
“It was a good surprise for me, especially when transitioning from military to civilian life. After I heard from them it went smoothly. It was just a long process.”
Lynn said he appreciates being able to hire officers who’ve grown up in the community.
“It’s really been interesting that the last three (hires) are locals who have risen to the top out of the entire process,” he said. “It’s a testament to them.”
He noted that other applicants who went through the same process didn’t rate as highly.
Prather, in particular, he said, looks like a “good fit” for the department.
“Brian was higher on the list when we started, but he was still in the Air Force and we had to wait till he was ready to get out. We were fortunate he was still available, he was still around.”
He said officers who grow up locally understand the “culture” of the community and “it’s easy for them to learn the town.”
Plus, on a more personal note, Lynn said, “it’s nice to keep some of the kids here in town. I don’t like to see them all leave.”
Prather said he likes Sweet Home after growing up here.
“I like the area. The community is very positive toward its police force. That’s kind of hard to find in this day and age. I figured Sweet Home was a better option rather than going to the big city or Oregon State Police.
“None of the people I associate myself with are going to be problems for me. I’m not going to be arresting my own friends. I don’t think it’s going to be an issue to be a police officer here.”