Former Deschutes County Sheriff Les Stiles passed away at his home in Caldwell, Idaho, on Jan. 6 after a series of lung issues. He was 77. To honor his legacy, Stiles’ family is hosting a celebration on March 4 at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.
Stiles was born on Dec. 7, 1945, in Pensacola, Florida, and moved frequently in his youth, but finished high school in Naperville, Illinois, according to a recent obituary. After graduating he joined the United States Army and served six years before attending Illinois State University while continuing to serve in the Army Reserves special forces. Stiles met his wife Carol during college, and upon completion moved to Colorado with hopes to teach English. A stint as a patrolman with the Northglenn Colorado Police Department introduced him to law enforcement. While in Colorado, Stiles taught college classes in law enforcement and attained a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Northern Colorado-Greeley.
After six years, Stiles was recruited to Moab, Utah, where he served as the police chief for two years. He and his family then moved to Bend, where they stayed for 36 years. He worked his way up in the Bend Police Department, starting as a patrol officer and ending his tenure at BPD as a lieutenant. He also continued teaching law enforcement classes — this time at Central Oregon Community College — and owned a flyfishing guide business.
Deschutes County voters elected Stiles to the office in 2000, when he ran on a platform of financial sustainability for the Sheriff’s Office. In office, Stiles found that former Sheriff Greg Brown embezzled $575,000 while in office. Brown then served 36 months in prison.
Stiles also implemented a program to support children with an incarcerated parent, created “Shop with a Cop,” installed a cybercrimes unit, attained certification for the sheriff’s department and the county jail and acquired permanent funding for the department. DCSO is still the only office in the state not funded by the county’s general fund.
Stiles left office in 2007, saying he’d achieved the goals he set for himself in the department. Afterward he founded Legacy Leadership, a consulting business that advised law enforcement on best practice reviews of law enforcement agencies in Oregon. After retiring from consulting Stiles taught masters-level ethics courses at Concordia University. He returned to law enforcement one final time in 2015, when Prineville City Manager Steve Forrester appointed him the town’s interim police chief. Though Stiles only held the position for 18 months, the department became accredited under his tenure.
A memorial for Stiles is scheduled for March 4 at 1 pm. The family is asking for donations to the Les Stiles Leadership Scholarship in lieu of flowers or other memorials. The scholarship supports college students planning a career in public safety.
This article appears in Mar 1, 2023 – Mar 13, 2024.
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