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The Administrative Services Division acts in numerous capacities to support the extensive operations of the Sheriff's Office. The year 2000 brought about many innovations helping improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our services.
Policy and procedures constantly change due to a variety of factors, including court rulings, new legislation, budget issues, and policy failures. The Policy Advisory Committee meets twice a month to review policy proposals. After the advisory committee approves the proposals, the Board of Captains and Chiefs reviews them, and they are forwarded to the Sheriff for final approval. During the year 2000, the committee approved ten policy revisions relating to tobacco products, auctions and sales, drug and alcohol testing, discipline, uniform allowances, cellular phones and pagers, less lethal impact munitions, response to alarms, serving civil process, and sexual offenses.
CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Citizen's Advisory Board is an extension of community policing, allowing the public accessibility to the workings of the Sheriff's Office. A group of citizens selected from throughout the county reviews problems, policies, and issues affecting the communities. They make recommendations to the Sheriff based on their analyses and act as a communication liaison with county residents. The Board is an advisory, rather than review board, being involved in the decision-making process. The Board may request to look at any Sheriff's Office issue, giving citizens a voice in all aspects of county law enforcement government.
In addition to monthly meetings, Board members participate on the internal boards of each Division, developing policies and reviewing operations from a closer vantage point.
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
The visible presence of D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officers in the schools helps reduce violence and serves as a reminder of D.A.R.E. principles. Officers educate young children against crime and violence, build relationships with them through playground, lunchroom and other activities, and act as role models for the students. The program educates students at an early age to stay out of trouble, reducing the risk of their being involved in crime when they get older.
In the year 2000, seven full-time deputies covered 64 schools, teaching the core program to 5200 fifth grade students, the primary age target of the curriculum. Additionally, officers exposed 26,035 K-4 students and reached 5,048 sixth graders with a presentation and follow-up visit. Officers also sponsored D.A.R.E. graduate activities, such as a reunion at Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center with displays and demonstrations, and a Lagoon Day, along with summer camps for selected students. The H. Harold Burton Foundation, K-Mart, and Jazz Wives contributed all program supplies.
The S.A.Y. (Sheriffs Assisting Youth) Program places deputies in high schools and middle schools, to discourage violence and crime, while providing positive police role models for students. In the course of teaching classes and fulfilling other duties, deputies create friendships with students, helping them feel comfortable reporting incidents involving guns, violence, drugs, and other problems. This cooperative atmosphere gives us the opportunity to stop crime before it starts.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Our public information officers serve as liaisons with the residents of Salt Lake County concerning correction and policing issues. Constant challenges arise involving the press and citizens. For example, when a shooting occurred under State Street on I-215 in 2000, the Sheriff's Office and Granite School District police fired shots and killed a suspect. The PIO for policing issues spoke in behalf of both agencies, helping a perplexed public understand officers could not have avoided the death.
The jails public information officer handled a delicate situation during the move of 900 prisoners from the old Metro Jail to the new adult detention complex in just one day. Carefully planned and coordinated to give the media due access, yet safeguard officers, prisoners, and the public, the officer set up a media staging area to allow reporters information and pictures in the late afternoon, but requested they not release reports until operatives completed the transfer. The move occurred without incident, and the public enjoyed informative coverage.
The Crime Prevention Unit trains the community regarding issues of personal safety. With the help of many volunteers, the Unit provided the citizens of the Wasatch Front over 100 crime prevention presentations, including Lady Beware, Street Wise, and Stranger Smart. They trained 31 new Neighborhood Watch groups and provided additional training to 16 existing programs. The Unit also participated in 19 safety fairs and participated in five communities' Night Out Against Crime celebrations. For more information regarding programs, see the Crime Prevention page.
During 2000, the Unit also served on the Risk Watch Coalition, a program designed by the National Fire Prevention Association. This program teaches elementary school children how to avoid "accidents," the number one cause for death among young people. The program reached students in two elementary schools in 2000 and will expand to include more schools in 2001.
Our Division publishes The Crime Watcher, a quarterly crime prevention newsletter, which in 2000 reached 8500 Neighborhood Watch participants, informing them of the latest trends in crime and applicable remedies. The Star, a quarterly publication addressed to all employees of the Sheriff's Office, keeps officers up-to-date on the Sheriff's activities, current law enforcement issues, changes in the law, and accomplishments of fellow employees.
We also yearly distribute hundreds of crime prevention pamphlets with information on topics such as canyon safety, vehicle burglary, auto theft, and street awareness. Through our video specialist, we create visual training aids to support the diverse functions of the entire office, such as meth lab identification, jail orientation for new inmates, and aerial pictures of valley schools. We also produce public information videos on such topics as auto theft and vehicle burglary (especially during the holidays), and the profile of Polynesian gang participants, to help unsuspecting parents recognize when their children demonstrate symptoms of gang involvement.
This year we added a new web technician who contributed base level computer support for the Division, and new pages, a new design, and better navigation for our website, keeping internet savvy citizens closely connected to current events at the Sheriff's Office.
The Chaplain Corps, consisting of volunteers from a variety of faiths, provided crisis intervention services, death notifications, grief counseling and recommendations for post traumatic stress. In a typical incident this year, when an accident killed a man on Van Winkle, deputies called for an on-duty chaplain to inform his spouse. At her request, the Catholic chaplain stepped in and met the wife at Cottonwood Hospital where her husband was dead on arrival. After counseling with the woman, the chaplain referred her to local clergy, and attended the funeral to provide continuing sympathy and support.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
The Internal Affairs Unit receives, investigates, and reports on alleged or suspected misconduct by personnel of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. The unit conducted 60 major complaint investigations and handled 222 other minor complaints received during 2000. After thorough investigation, the Unit submitted all cases to the appropriate division commander for disposition.
TRAINING UNIT
In the Fall of 2000, the Training Unit moved from Riverton to the Sheriff Office Building located at 3365 S. 900 West. The Unit serves deputy sheriffs, correctional officers, and civilians. Some excellent classes offered sworn personnel this year included: Interviews and Interrogations (with instructors from Canada), Advanced Defensive Tactics, Alternative Defensive Tactics from Controlled Force, and Mobile Field Force.
The staff coordinated training for over 1100 office employees. Corrections staff provided over 40 hours of in-service training to 445 sworn officers and 227 civilian employees. Corrections staff provided 500 hours of Academy training to 137 new officers. Deputy staff provided over 40 hours of in-service training to 437 deputies. Deputy staff also trained 50 new deputies in Academy, pre-service, and a 12-week field training program.
The Training Unit continues to research new and updated training programs to implement within the Sheriff's Office. To maintain instructor certifications, staff members consistently attend training to learn about law enforcement procedures and applications.
FIREARMS UNIT
The year 2000 was a full year of accomplishments for the firearms training facility. We finished installing Range 5, our 125-year rifle range, completed a water system for the building allowing showers and lavatory facilities, and paved the main entry and the road up to all the ranges.
Also during 2000, Salt Lake County Roads and Bridges added a much-needed parking lot to handle enough vehicles for all the ranges if in use. We owe them a great deal of thanks for a cost-effective project.
The new parking lot created the opportunity to expand Range 1 for a possible training shoot house, giving us six usable ranges.
Our rifle program worked well, with a total of 223 now in service. Training continued and we hosted state-of-the-art schools from the following major companies: Smith & Wesson, H & K, Ruger, Air Taser, Sig Sauer, and other agencies from all over the State. We completed special training on various less lethal weapons and gas for 55 M-Cert team correctional officers.
During 2000, we also held six auto-pistol schools where we trained 90 new people to handguns; five rifle schools, training 60 new people to rifles; performed F.A.T.S. for 703 members; P.P.C. for 703 members; stress shoot for 703 members; and certifications for 2,415 weapons. A significant increase of deputies and officers used the facility to better their skills.
We stay on top of new technology and training to better serve members of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and citizens of Salt Lake County.
FINE ARTS FACILITIES
Protective Service officers man the Capitol Theater, located at 50 West 200 South, 24 hours a day. The historic landmark theater, which seats 1800 people, is the home of Ballet West, the Utah Opera, and the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. World-class Broadway productions come to the theater several weeks during the year. Our officers assure their safety and that of the fine arts staff.
Also requiring 24-hour service is the home of the Utah Symphony, Abravanel Hall, seating 2750 people and located at 123 West South Temple, in Salt Lake City. When the Utah Symphony is dark, various parties schedule concerts and events. Wedding receptions and parties also occupy the lobby and first tier room.
Phase I of The Rose Wagner Perfoming Arts Center, located at 138 West Broadway (300 South) is open, housing the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation and the Repertory Dance Theater. Artists perform in the Black Box Theater, which seats 200 people. Phase II of the project, the Jeanne Wagner Theater, seating 550 people, will open in March of 2001 and then become the home of The Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. Officers protect this facility 24 hours a day.
A Protective Services officer also covers the laser shows at the Hansen Planetarium, located at 15 South State, on Friday and Saturday nights.
All of the fine arts facilities and the Hansen Planetarium will play a major role in the 2002 Winter Olympics entertainment options for athletes and visitors.
GOVERNMENTAL BUILDINGS
Two officers protect the north and south buildings of the Salt Lake County Government Center, the workplace of all elected officials, division directors, their staff, and 950 employees. Council meetings take place at the Government Center, in the north building, where the Protective Services Division is located.
Due to increased requests for professional law enforcement and security, the Protective Services doubled its full-time staff during the year, striving to ensure the safety of employees, citizens, and Salt Lake County property. We look forward to serving the needs of the county residents today and in the future.
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Division
Commander:
Captain Jeff Carr |
