By Carbon County Sheriff Jeff Wood
With the end of the school year approaching, we are gearing up for summer. We are formulating plans to patrol the outlying areas of the county and have had good response from our Scofield patrols so far. I would like to thank Deputy Leonard for his efforts to assist East Carbon Police by patrolling in that area on a regular basis. Detective Taylor and Detective Hendricks have been patrolling the Mounds area, keeping an eye on the spring cattle range and that also has been going well. We are taking a proactive approach to the issues in these areas and receiving positive results.
The day crew has been walking through the local schools and we are very pleased with the welcoming response we have received from all of the schools. I would like to say thanks to Deputy Mangum and Deputy Henrie for their efforts in this area.
The sheriff’s office is getting ready for the new legislative changes for the year. The Justice Reinvestment Initiative bill passed this year and we have new challenges in the near future. This bill will reduce the penalties for specific offenses involving controlled substance and provides that specified penalties be increased for subsequent convictions for the same offenses. The administrative team at the sheriff’s office is formulating a plan to deal with the challenges this bill creates.
I am truly blessed to be part of such a great team and am excited for the events of the summer. The sheriff’s office is excited for the upcoming community events. Plans are already in motion for the Search and Rescue Demolition Derby. This event will take place on June 27 this year.
We have received a lot of positive comments about our new uniforms. We are in the transition process of changing from the black on black to khaki pants and olive drab shirts. The sheriff’s office will continue to strive to be approachable by the public in general. I want to remind each member of the sheriff’s office that customer service is a critical part of our job and we must continue to be a positive support for our community.
Our monthly lunch will be a Cinco de Mayo themed lunch and is scheduled for May 7 at noon at the sheriff’s office. All employees and local law enforcement are invited to attend. I am very pleased with the progress each of our deputies has made to strengthen our relationships with all local law enforcement. Our local law enforcement team is strong and we are truly blessed to live in a community that has such a strong support for law enforcement.
Our thoughts and prayers go with those family’s whom suffered loss and injury over the weekend. This has been a rough week for our community and it will take a collaborative effort to heal. In closing, be safe out there and let’s continue to set a positive example.