Anderson police chief's absence from job raises questions about where he is
A city of Anderson official said Tuesday that Police Chief Jon Poletski, who has not reported to work for at least the past week, is on leave from his position.
The Record Searchlight has received multiple emails and phone calls from Shasta County residents over the past week from residents asking about the chief, and some people have offered possible explanations as to why he has not been at work.
In an attempt to address community concerns, the newspaper left several messages by email and phone at the Anderson Police administration phone number and with City Manager Joey Forseth-Deshais seeking information about Poletski. City officials did not respond.
A reporter stopped by the police station on Friday and again on Tuesday morning, but both times was told the chief was not in his office and questions were being referred to a department captain.
The Record Searchlight also went to City Hall on Friday to speak to Forseth-Deshais, who initially would not answer any questions about Poletski. He eventually agreed to acknowledge Poletski still worked for the city. Then on Tuesday afternoon, the city manager provided clarification on Poletski's status.
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"The city wants to make it clear that Anderson Police Chief Jon Poletski remains an employee of the city, and he is currently on leave. Any reports to the contrary are unequivocally false. Captain Nathan Ramirez is the acting police chief during the leave period," Forseth-Deshais said in an email.
Forseth-Deshais previously worked in Redding's Community Services Department and was hired as Anderson's city manager at the start of 2024.
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A "Coffee with the Chief" event at Vittles restaurant in Anderson was originally set for Wednesday, according to an Anderson Police Department Facebook post on Dec. 5. But that event has been postponed, an update to the post said.
Poletski, who had been a captain with the Redding Police Department, began serving as acting chief in Anderson in August 2021 and he was appointed chief a month later. He took over the job after the Shasta County Board of Supervisors appointed former Chief Michael Johnson to be the new sheriff.
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Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Anderson Police Chief Jon Poletski's absence from job raises questions
