The Utah Peace Officer Association

As I end my tenure as your President of our Organization, I look back on a variety of situations that we have tackled. I am very proud to have been your president this past 10 months. I appreciated the support and loyalty that you, the members have shown to our organization. I have said in the past and I will continue to repeat that ours is the best organization that represents all the officers in this state. We are the street officer up to the highest position in our organizations.

I wish to thank all the department heads that have supported the officers in their organizations, in representing the officers of their areas. This has meant that the officer attended meetings of the UPOA and at the legislature. Our input is one that is trusted and needed to find out the thinking and wishes of the line and staff officers of this great state. I know it is time consuming and takes the officers away from other duties, but it is a dedicated officer that will hold an office in our organization. We are not paid lobbyist or paid officers like other organizations, ours is purely a volunteer position that we feel proud to serve our fellow officers and our departments.

We live in an ever-changing world, which we have to adjust and adapt to, everyday. Our profession is one that holds back the tide of horror and anarchy that is ever present in our world today. Many do not understand the thin blue/green/brown or gray line that is the only thing that keeps the ugly head of the bullies and thugs of our world at bay, from the rest of society. We try to keep things in perspective, so we can lead a somewhat normal life.

Our families and friends see that we are affected, by the ugly side of society that we deal with everyday. The torn families, the mangled bodies, the little children that have been abused, and the horrors that normal people have no idea that is out there. We are supposed to be able to handle these scenes that never leave our minds. I know that some can keep them at bay for a while, but some of us cannot. We snap or many times we cannot handle it any longer and have to change professions. We are a unique group of people. Not many of us are the same person we were, after a few short years of doing this type of work.

I want you to know that you are the BEST. You will never be paid what you are worth. Not until some of our legislatures have their lives shattered like ours do all the time, will we get the acknowledgement that we deserve. We have all seen the photo ops, where they get their pictures in the paper with those of us that have looked the devil in the face, but when it comes time to put the dollar where their mouths are, we get put in a back study room. We get lip service but not the support that many say they give us. We need to let our representatives know it is time to take care of those that watch out over society. We are the sheep dogs that keep the coyotes out of the sheep. The herd will get torn apart, if the sheep dogs are not there to protect and serve. Does that sound familiar? What would the officer’s spouses have had if those officers had fallen victim to a shotgun blast in Trolley Square? Not the 75% of their husband’s retirement like other employees, but 65%. This is because they are cops. I have seen too much in my life to not speak up for all the officers in this state. Remember if you do not say anything, then they will not bother to take care of you.

I know that many more of us will die, protecting society. We need to know that our families will be provided for, after we are gone. Honor those that have given all so we can enjoy our freedoms. There have been 117 Utah Officers that have paid the ultimate sacrifice, protecting the citizens of this State. What we ask for is nothing that we have not EARNED. Some of us have paid some, but we need to remember and honor those of our family that have paid all. They paid with their lives, to protect and serve the citizens of Utah.

I was so proud of those officers that took the time to attend our Memorial to our Fallen Officers. There are many of us that could have had our names on that memorial, except for just some little thing that kept us alive. Think about it. I hope to see many of you there next year, honoring and paying respect to our fellow officers that did pay the ultimate sacrifice. God bless them and their wonderful families. Pray that the Lords comfort may be with these families that are dealing with their loss.

In closing my last message, I hope to see many of you at the UPOA Summer Convention in Logan. It should be an interesting and enjoyable time for all that attend. Again, God bless each of you and your efforts to make out state a safe place to live and raise our families.

From the Utah Peace Officer 84/1

Well it is that time already. The year is flying so fast and everything is a blur. I have seen so much positive that we have accomplished. When good men and women get their heads together, we can do wonderful things.

I am so proud of the Fallen Officer Memorial and our efforts in the legislature. We have been blessed with dedicated men and women that have a solid belief in the goodness of our citizens and businesses, that have come forward and put their wallets and efforts to help recognize those Officers that have paid the ultimate sacrifice, to help keep our great state, the wonderful place we have to live.

I didn’t think I was that old, but I have known too many of the great men that are on our Fallen Officer Memorial. I have such respect for these heroes that have gone to a better place. My heart aches for the families that have lost their Dads, so the rest of society can sleep secure at night. We are out in the late hours of the night, when no one knows what we are doing, so they can enjoy this privilege. I want you to know, that some do and they appreciate the sacrifices we make.

This organization is the greatest group of officers that I have had the privilege to be a part of, these past twenty-seven years. I know this is the best bargain that any organization offers to real cops, in my opinion.

I have gotten to know federal, state, county and city officers and we all have pretty much the same wants and needs. The UPOA gives us all the ability to come together in a unified effort to better the conditions we work and live in. It is the hard work that we have done for these past decades that give us this respect and admiration, from our State and Citizens. I thank the past officers and members for this heritage we have inherited.

We need to let other officers know how much we enjoy our ability to call one of our fellow members, when we need some, on site assistance on one of our cases. It could be a family member having a problem in another part of the state, but we have a brother/sister officer that we can call on to help us out. I have been on both ends of this situation and feel very blessed to have friends that I can call on to help me.

We are here to help make sure that our family is watched over and helped in times of need. Sometimes this has been to fellow officers that are not even in our organization. I think that says a lot about our organization and our ideals. I hope some of the officers that have wondered about joining us will think about this and remember we are one of the best options to provide the needed training through out the State. The UPOA is there to work with all Departments to help provide this needed training for all officers. It just costs less or is free for our members.

In this last legislative session, we have had good men and women on the hill every day, watching out for our interests. We are on multiple committees and are asked for our input on a variety of issues that come before our legislators. This trust and respect is a valuable commodity that we have earned with our hard work. This is done in my opinion, by great officers from all agencies that come together in the oldest and best organization in the state – the Utah Peace Officers Association.

One last wish of mine is to see the camaraderie that we enjoy at our Summer Convention, of the Great Departments putting a team together to compete with sister departments, in our pistol competition. What one tool do we train with in all departments that may save our life or that of an innocent citizen? Have we seen lately the importance of this? All of us know that it may occur at any time, any day. We better have to competence and proficiency to take the necessary action to protect the innocents in our society. It takes trigger time and under stressful situations. Where better than at a controlled environment with fellow officers.

God bless each of our families and us, especially our wonderful spouses that put up with more that they should have to.

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From the Utah Peace Officer 83/4

I hope everyone enjoyed their right to vote and your candidate of choice won. All mine did not, but I did my duty as a citizen of a free nation.

I am very concerned by what has become a scare on law enforcement. I have noticed a sharp increase in the failure of us to live up to the standards we swore an oath to when we became Cops. I am talking about our code of ethics. We need to keep our code of Ethics on a wall where we can see it anytime. This is a code we can not break; it is not an easy profession we are in. We are not paid enough, we work when others are home asleep, we work the holidays and birthdays of our families. For the most part, we are taken for granted and not appreciated. There are a very few that know what we do and stand up for us, even in the Legislature.

This profession that is not for everyone, but the few that take our road, need to be a little better than the rest. If the citizens really knew what we deal with everyday, they would pay us like their lives depended on it. We know their lives do depend on us doing our job, but we do our jobs so well, they do not know sometimes, their lives did depend on us. We are the thin line between good and evil, order and anarchy. Lets not step over the line and let each of us help each other so none of us, fall into the trap, that so many want us to.

When I attended my first Post Council, I was surprised to see how many of us had charges for sexual misconduct. I am not talking about the normal problems we fall into, with another partner that our spouses, would not approve of. I am concerned about criminal acts, that “we” arrest people for and put them in jail for. The number alone astounded me and made me feel ashamed. There is not a cop on the street that does not know and understand that on duty or better yet, in the station, is not the place or the time to pursue our desires and passions. I am not what anyone would call a prude, but I never thought that this activity was permissible. I am not talking about enjoying your spouse during your lunch break at home. Everyone in our profession understands what I am talking about.

There seems to be too many cases that our brother/sister officers are loosing their certification and being charged with criminal charges. Our standard of conduct or ethics is supposed to mean something to us. We know that we are held to a higher standard than many other professions. Some of them are of positions of trust even I have a hard time believing that little of nothing happens to them, for doing some of the things we get arrested or decertified for. But we know, “Life ain’t Fair!”

From the Utah Peace Officer 83/3


I have seen the entire family of law enforcement beat up and taken advantage of for over twenty-five years. There is one thing we have learned. Talk is cheap and we have had a lot of lip service in that time. I know we are all able to vote or we would not be employed in the capacity we are in. We have to take the time to make sure we cast our ballots and let our families and friends know what is important to them and us. I just got back from a place where no one had the right to vote or much less have a say in how their government should be run, for decades. Now, thanks to the blood of our countrymen and women, along with the same red blood of that countries men and women, these people are earning the right to cast their ballots. It is said that freedom is not free. I am a firm believer in that saying. I can testify to the fact that many of the Iraqi police officers are paying the ultimate sacrifice so their citizens can have the right to vote in their countries elections. They stand guard in the face of death every day, so their country can have a better life. They want the same things we do. A job to support their families, a home, education for all of the people in their country, and a safe place to live. I have seen them die every day, to make their county better. There are many forces working against them, to stop them from having the freedom to vote for the candidate of their choice. The neighbors that surround them do not want this democracy to survive. If it works there; why, the other countries will want to have the same thing. Heaven forbid that, they cannot have that. This is the last hope for this people, to stand on their own feet and become a leader in that part of the world. Whole families got dressed in their best clothes and went to the voting polls, knowing the terrorist would target them. They walked proud at the opportunity to cast their votes to begin their countries start in the democratic process. I was shown the purple in on their index fingers, showing their pride and joy in being able to vote for the first time in their lives, for many. They did this, all the while many of them were shot at, threatened, had hand grenades thrown at them, and bombs exploded at every turn to stop the voting. Yet with all this resistance to stop these folks from voting, a phenomenal seventy percent of the county voted. Can we make that kind of statement, as law enforcement professionals? We need to take a lesson from this group of people and do better at letting our ELECTED officials know what we want them to do, for us. I have seen many groups do a much better job at making their wishes known, than we have. For years, I felt like I was doing a great job and those in a position of authority, would notice and take care of me. If I was told, “Next year, is your year” once, I was told that almost every year. We have to make it our year every year. We have good men and women in harms way every hour of every day. If those in authority do not take care of the Police Officers like their lives depend on it, the day will come; their lives will depend on us. We need to elect those candidates that will support the thin line between chaos and order. If our needs fall on deaf ears, we as a family of law enforcement professionals need to replace them and get someone that will show us the support we have earned and deserve. The ballot box is the place that we will make a huge impact if we will all get involved. We all need to go to our local caucuses and make sure we get elected as our party candidates or someone that will support our ideals. We have lost so much these past few years and have made gains in other areas. When we vote, we will be appreciated better and we will have a better State to work in. I tried to make sure that my elected officials knew who I was and what my opinion was on any law enforcement bill that came up. I was available to give support or advice to any legislator that asked me for my opinion on any topic of concern to them. This year we need to get out and VOTE. It is a right that many have paid a great price for us to have. We need not, take it for granted. This is a right that we as a free people, need to take advantage of. Check out your candidates and make sure they support law enforcement and will support us when we need the added people and funds to do our jobs professionally. If you do not vote, you have no right to complain. We need to make sure we make a difference at the ballot box. If we work as hard at this as we do on the streets, we can make a huge impact on any candidate’s bid for office. I have seen what happens when a group of cops show up for a committee hearing on a law enforcement matter. Those legislators know that they are being scrutinized for their actions. They are being held accountable for what they are doing or failing to do. It is a fact we face every time we make a decision on the street. If someone does what is RIGHT! then we do not worry too much about what others may think. We know we are doing what we are suppose to. We have some of the greatest supporters in the state on the Hill, but they cannot always do it alone. We have to get active too. I challenge every member of law enforcement to get out and vote, no matter whether you are a member of Utah Peace Officers Association or not. Its time our voices are heard and we acquire the support we deserve.