Sedona Police Deputy Chief Ryan Kwitkin Dismissed Following Internal Probe

The city of Sedona has initiated an inquiry into Police Chief Stephanie Foley, sparked by accusations of fostering a hostile work environment brought forth by Deputy Chief Ryan Kwitkin, Sgt. Laura Leon, and Executive Assistant Charlene “Sherri” O’Connor on March 14.

Revolutionary HR Consulting conducted an independent investigation from March 18 to May 23, involving interviews with 23 city employees. They found that eight allegations against Foley were unsubstantiated.

However, during the investigation, new allegations of misconduct emerged against Kwitkin. On May 24, Kwitkin was put on paid suspension pending an internal investigation.

Human Resources Director Russ Martin led the investigation into Kwitkin, interviewing 14 staffers about 13 allegations. Ten of these were confirmed, one was partially substantiated, and two were unsubstantiated.

On June 12, Kwitkin was informed that he faced allegations including unprofessional conduct, aggressive behavior, violating investigation protocols, personal misuse of departmental assets, and disclosing confidential information.

A notice of intent to terminate Kwitkin was issued on July 1. Although he requested a hearing on July 3, he failed to attend either of the meetings scheduled for July 9 and 10. Consequently, he was terminated on July 10.

The final report, issued on July 31, added further allegations against Kwitkin, including harassment and insubordination.

Among the substantiated allegations, it was found that:

■ In October, Kwitkin behaved aggressively towards volunteers during a call.

■ In January, he allegedly asked a K-9 officer to search his home for drugs, a misuse of authority.

■ In February, he reportedly made a female officer uncomfortable by locking a door and preventing her from leaving a room.

■ On March 14, he disclosed confidential information about the lieutenant selection process.

■ He continued discussing the investigation with staff after being instructed not to do so.

■ He made positive promises about departmental changes during the investigation, affecting its integrity.

The partially sustained allegation involved unprofessionalism in completing assignments, including involving his spouse in work matters.

The two unsubstantiated allegations were:

■ Recruitment of Leon and O’Connor to file complaints against Foley.

■ Alleged unprofessional behavior at Sedona Red Rock High School, which was later disproved.

The final assessment by Martin indicated that Kwitkin struggled with taking constructive criticism and used his performance review to criticize his superiors and the department.