By Cletis Steele, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office
Over the past couple of weeks, our jail population has averaged 60 inmates. As of Tuesday we are at 58; that includes 16 females and 42 males. The majority of our recent bookings have once again been warrants, court-ordered commitments, drug and alcohol related rffenses, and thefts.
Last week, we had the privilege of attending the 20th Annual Utah Sheriff’s Association Training Conference in St. George. The theme of the conference was, “Under Fire – Facing the Challenge.” The theme relates to the recent negativity concerning law enforcement throughout the country and how we need to face the challenges and work smarter to overcome the obstacles we face on a daily basis.
The training was very informative and beneficial for all in attendance. Since 2014, lawful protests and peaceful demonstrations have turned into unprecedented spikes in violent crimes and even assassinations of law enforcement officers. As a result, many law enforcement officers have found themselves unable to engage in the kind of proactive, aggressive community protection procedures that produce positive results. To be successful in deterring crime and protecting citizens, a law enforcement agency needs to be proactive instead of reactive. If a law enforcement agency does nothing but merely respond to calls, the effectiveness of law enforcement will surely deteriorate.
During the conference, we had the opportunity of attending a class presented by Daniel Linskey, who is the retired Superintendent-in Chief of the Boston Police Department and Incident Commander for the Boston Marathon and the first commander on scene at the April 19th shootout in Watertown, Massachusetts. Retired Chief Linskey’s presentation was unforgettable as he walked everyone in attendance through the entire Boston Marathon bombing tragedy.
Members of the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office also attended training in Indicators of a Potential Assault or Flight, Encounters with the Mentally Ill, De-escalation Strategies, DEA Trends in Utah, Transforming Agency Culture and Leadership in a Time of Crisis. (The leadership class was presented by Toby Jacquez, who is an East Carbon native and graduate of the College of Eastern Utah.)
One of the favorite classes attended was “Leaving a Legacy” presented by Chad Hymas. Hymas spoke to law enforcement officers about conquering the emotional paralysis that robs vision and momentum, turn obstacles into opportunities, embracing the power of change, and tapping into unseen personal power and inner strength to accomplish any goal.
After the conference, we had the privilege of attending the awards banquet with guest speaker, Scott Burns. Burns is the current Piute County Attorney and former Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
During the awards banquet, Sheriff James Tracy of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office announced that the 2015 Deputy of the Year was our very own Shawn Addley. Shawn and his wife Stacy were in attendance as he was presented with a plaque and badge for his dedication to the citizens of Carbon County and the state of Utah. This is the first time that anyone from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office has received this honor. Congratulations deputy Shawn Addley and thank you Stacy for being part of this evening.
On Sept. 23, deputies Mike Hreinson and Travis Henrie responded to a suicidal subject concerning a female who was threatening to take her life. Along with Price City Police Officers Sgt. Brandon Sicilia, Ralph Vose and David Wilkinson, USU Eastern personnel and Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, the incident was safely handled without any injury to the female or others involved. It is clear that due to their dedication, training and professionalism, a young life was saved. In Carbon County, we are surrounded by professionals who will do all they can to help others no matter the situation, date, time or location. Our law enforcement teams are not responders, they are rescuers and warriors.
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank our community and citizens for their continued support by embracing our proactive law enforcement style and showing your support to our local law enforcement agencies. Have a great week Carbon County and remember if you see something suspicious, please report it.