New Sandy Police Positions To Patrol City Parks
Nov 7, 2019, 1:59 PM
SANDY, Utah – Two new police positions have been added in Sandy specifically to patrol the remote parks found within city limits.
The new positions were announced Thursday morning,
The new officers will get around the parks using mountain bikes and all-terrain vehicles, which in many cases will allow them to be the first to respond to emergency situations.
“We have had specific crimes in these areas that if we did have routine patrols and a proactive presence there, we could have avoided,” said Chief William O’Neil with the Sandy City Police Department.
The park officers will cover 100-plus miles of trails within the city limits, including Bell Canyon Reservoir from Little Cottonwood Canyon all the way to Draper.
Chief O’Neil said the additional officers will make a difference.
Even with two officers, they will have their hands full, switching shifts to cover the ground 24 hours a day year around.
Graham Tinius was one of the two officers assigned to the unit. He told KSL he started his law enforcement career 14 years ago in Arizona. While he’s new to Utah, he’s no novice to the outdoors or public safety.
“Once you start seeing us on the trials, I think crimes of convenience like the chief said – things like breaking into cars at the trail heads or graffiti – things like that are going to be greatly reduced, as long as some quality of life issues like dogs on leash, littering, graffiti and things like that,” said Officer Tinius.
Patrols were also expected to include positive contacts with park goers, letting folks know the park officers are there as a resource.
The new positions were part of a pilot program within the crime suppression unit.
