Photo courtesy of the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office
By Carbon County Sheriff Jeff Wood
Fall is around the corner, but it does not quite feel like it with the extreme temperatures we have been experiencing in our area. With that said, I wanted to remind everyone about not forgetting our pets during this time of year. Be sure they have plenty of water and shade available to help our best friends beat the heat as we approach the fall-like weather.
Last Wednesday, Aug. 31, we were visited by the Carbonville Ward Young Men’s Group. During the visit, the young men were given the chance to tour the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and the Carbon County Jail. We discussed different careers in law enforcement and what qualifications and training that would benefit them in a law enforcement career.
We first discussed the history of the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office. Utah has 29 sheriffs and the memorandum of understanding we share with each of them and our local agencies along with the willingness we have to assist each of them in time of need and emergency.
We then discussed the different types of law enforcement certifications in Utah, including Special Functions, Basic Corrections and Law Enforcement Officer Certification. We discussed and compared the difference in all of the certifications and the age you need to be to become certified.
We also discussed the different positions available at the sheriff’s office, including Corrections Deputy, Road Deputy, Detective, K-9 Handler, SWAT, Court Security, Civil Processing, Drug Court Tracker, Pre-Trial Tracker, Probation, Transport and Animal Control. They were excited to know that a young person at the age of 19 could begin a career in corrections and we talked about the two different rosters required to be hired at the sheriff’s office. We explained the merit system and how that is required to become a Law Enforcement Certified Officer at the sheriff’s office.
The young men had the opportunity to meet K-9 Joey. They also visited the booking room, intoxilyzer room and fingerprint room. They were given facts about our facility, including it being an 88-bed facility and having seven different inmate pods, not to mention the full working kitchen, medical room, pharmacy, rec yard and library.
The programs and meetings we offer our inmates were also discussed, including church, GED, USARA, Four Corners, Getting Ahead While Getting Out and Operation Recovery, just to name a few.
The young men were very professional and asked great questions. Hopefully one day in the near future, they will be seeking a career in local law enforcement. We are grateful for the opportunity to educate them on the functions of the sheriff’s office and explain the recruitment process in the hopes to spark interest in this noble profession.
Once again, I would like to thank the community for the overwhelming support of our local law enforcement. It has been my privilege to serve this community for the past three decades.