FBI Presents Community Leadership Award to Eugene Police Captain Chuck Tilby

FBI Special Agent in Charge David Ian Miller presented Capt. Chuck Tilby with the FBI’s annual Director’s Community Leadership Award on Tuesday, January 27. Capt. Tilby, a 30-year veteran with the Eugene Police Department, received the award at the Major Crimes Conference in Eugene.

Every year, each of the FBI’s 56 field offices nominates one person or group of people to receive the Director’s Award for Community Leadership. The award, given on behalf of Director Robert S. Mueller III, honors those who have undertaken extraordinary efforts in their personal or professional lives to deter violence.

“Capt. Tilby is a great example of someone who has gone above and beyond,” said Special Agent in Charge David Ian Miller. “He has shown that hard work, integrity and a commitment to serve can really make a difference in people’s lives. Capt. Tilby has certainly helped to keep the people of Eugene safe in his three decades of service.”

Over the years, Capt. Tilby has earned distinction within his department, and, in 2004, he was promoted to Captain. His current responsibilities include oversight and management of the Investigations Division.

In nominating Capt. Tilby for this award, the Portland Division cited two specific examples of his efforts that demonstrated his dedication to community safety. The first was his long-standing leadership in guiding the Operation Backfire investigation. Operation Backfire was a nine-year joint investigation targeting more than a dozen members of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Capt. Tilby was vital to the overall effort, providing strong investigative leadership, coordinating with the FBI and other partners, and a showing a commitment to seeing a difficult case through a successful prosecution.

The second example of Capt. Tilby’s work cited in the nomination was his work leading up to the 2008 U.S. Track and Field Trials in Eugene. The event included approximately 1,000 athletes, 17,000 spectators and 1,000 members of the media. The nature of the event, its significance as a symbolic target, and other factors created unique difficulties in terms of protecting the athletes, fans and the general community. During this time, Capt. Tilby served as the primary force behind the Eugene Police Department’s efforts and coordinating with other agencies, including the FBI.

“Really good work does not happen in a vacuum,” said Capt. Tilby. “It happens in an environment where different players work together, with all of their individual strengths. In both of these cases, numerous agencies, law enforcement and others, worked in an extremely collaborative way, with only one goal in mind - complete the mission.”

Director Mueller will personally recognize Capt. Tilby at a national event to be held in Washington, D.C., on March 20, 2009.

 

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