Steve Labrum and Leonard Isaacson discuss sheriff candidacy, Basin issues

Q: What do you think some of the biggest issues facing the Basin are?

Isaacson: There are a lot and it depends upon who you talk to about there list of importance if you listen to them. It comes down to a couple of areas and most of them deal with drugs in some form or fashion. When I say that, theft deals with drugs. People paying their money for other things. If you deal with domestic violence, or child abuse, that's a money issue. A lot of times there's some kind of drugs, whether it's alcohol or illegal, or legal being abused drugs involved. In our community, law enforcement does there best to catch them and put it in the system. But the two areas is the one before it and the one after. We use to have a DARE program in the county. I'm not talking about one class in the city, I'm talking about the county, they don't have it anymore. Some kind of program getting cops back into the schools, what that's going to do is a couple of things: Like the dare program, it's going to give them an idea about drugs and the downfalls, pits, and problems involved with that. Also, the DARE program talked about violence and gangs, which in today's society equates to bullying and some of the shooting aspects that we have now. But the best thing about taking those programs into the school might not be necessarily the programs, but more about getting the cops into the schools meeting with the kids. Sometimes media, especially social media, don't play cops to be the good guys.

Labrum: From a law enforcement standpoint drugs are a major problem for a lot of individuals and families. Heroin and Meth are dividing families and destroying lives. Domestic violence, child custody issues, child neglect and sexual abuse are also happening on a frequent basis. Theft is still a problem throughout the basin. Vandalism is also at the top of the list. Safety in our schools and workplace is on everyone's mind.

Q: There's a problem with molestation in the Basin, how do we go about combating that problem?

Isaacson: Naples City is starting something and I'm going to give them credit where it belongs. They're trying to get something started at Naples elementary and it teaches kids to fight back, to yell, scream, report what they see and what happens to them. If they can get that going and they have an oilfield company that's helping them come up with the bill to pay for that and get it up and running. That could be part of that getting the cops into the school program, and in that the cops do go to the school and they teach them, it sounds bad, but how to distract, run away and tell everybody. It's a good concept they're coming up with out there and running with. So when I say something for the schools, exactly what, I don't know. I know it needs to be there. If you look at it in a three-part piece, we train them before and teach them about violence and teach them about the pitfalls of drugs. We go to the after effect. In our jail, we have limited ability for programming. That's only because someone is not doing it. Programming is relatively easy. Working for Adult Parole and Probation for the time I did, I found out that there are programs that the jail staff, the deputies there in the jail, can get train input on. That is the cost is getting the training, then there's the minimal cost for everyone to get a book. But in that fashion, while our people are in jail, and there are people, our friends, our family, our loved ones, why aren't we training them, reprogramming them from that criminalistic mindset to a more pro-social life. Ultimately, just like drugs, it's going to take their mental change in order for when they come out to make it happen. But at least while they are in there, not comparing notes and becoming worse criminals, they're learning the tools they need in order to get out in society and make themselves pro-social, or more like the public, understanding what the norms are.

Labrum: When I was a detective I worked a lot of sex abuse cases. In some of these cases, drugs and alcohol were a factor. Some suspects stated that boredom mixed with porn was to blame for their actions. I feel that there are several factors in every case that lead to this behavior. As parents, we need to know where our children are and who they are with. We need to know our children's friends and babysitters. If a member of the family is watching the children and they have a problem with substance abuse, porn, are sexually suggestive, or obviously a sex offender we shouldn't leave our children alone in their care. Kids shouldn't play in secret but out in the open where adults can observe them.

Q: With Adult Parole and Probation and some of the rehab centers, how can we work to alleviate this drug problem rather than jail everybody?

Isaacson: In 2015 the state of Utah said they have a problem with just what you are talking about. So they went looking in the nation, they found several states and municipalities that had gone to a JRI program. JRI stands for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. In that process, they found out that first time criminals, throwing them into jail teaches them to be even worse criminals. So they hesitate to throw them into jail as a first step. While they are in there, they push this programming and they push it hard. Then they have other programs as they're getting out as transitions so they just don't jump right back out and deal with the public. The state has an MRT program (moral recognition training) which teaches people inside a facility or outside, to think about the consequences of what they're about to do. In that same fashion, that's their program but there are programs just like and it's a step program. That being taught to people in our jail helps us lower that recidivism, which will help us lower the cost of the jail, but again if we are offering the program, the state will actually allow us to have more inmates or a higher amount then we have now. They have promised us so many and in the past years we haven't had them. Right now there's another program that is being utilized out on the Front that's taking up 25 beds in our facility, but that 25 beds, if it was used by the state, would help us account for that programming and help us get what we need for our community. Number one is our community.

Labrum: AP&P has had a program since 2015 called the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) to help reduce jail time for offenders that don't re-offend. There are also other steps that offenders need to complete to take time off their sentences such as high school or GED graduation, vocational programs, substance abuse treatment, and sex offender treatment. These need to be completed after they have offended so they can show they are trying to improve themselves. These programs are still being studied to see if they are working. I know personally that for some it has been a great program and asset that has helped them. The choice to use drugs is a choice at first then it becomes an addiction. When I have had conversations with former addicts they have all said that when they quit it was because they decided what they would lose was more valuable than the next high. They all had family and religious support to get them through the difficult times. As a community and family, we are an addict's best resource when they are ready to quit we need to be ready to get them in a program. Show them love and support.

Q: With Dinosaur opening up a retail marijuana shop, how are we as a community going to respond? Are we going to continue to write tickets, or are we going to take a more lenient stance on it?

Isaacson: Out of 23 years of law enforcement, I went from knowing drugs were a problem from just starting law enforcement to absolutely factually knowing drugs are a problem. To allow it to slip over the border and into the community, that's not helping our community out. It's not doing anything good for us. They would argue that there are medical issues and a 101 excuses. The point being is all things that are not good start with acceptance. And accepting that it is there and that we can't do anything about it and throwing our hands in the air is a wrong concept. It's another state, I have no control over that state, but I am currently still a state certified peace officer and as it comes through Naples City, I darn well will do what I can to stop that from coming over this way, even if it is one at a time. If all the attorneys and people want to do is slap their hands, I still have a job to do and that is to try to deter that crime. I'll make a profound statement that personally I consider it game on. I'm not saying that I'm going to go over and wait at the state line, although I'm not objecting to that, but I'm the type of person that says all that is going to do is give me more of a drive to keep it out from negatively affecting my community.

Labrum: We have seen a significant increase in arrests for marijuana and THC products since Colorado changed the law. As it currently sits possession of marijuana in Utah is illegal so we will continue to enforce that law.

Q: What do you think the relationship between the county attorney and the sheriff needs to be?

Isaacson: As far as the communications between the sheriff's department and the county attorney, it needs to be as fluid as in the same office. I'm not saying that he needs to move his office over to the sheriff's department, but if I have a problem or he has a problem, it needs to be so simple for us to get together and work through those issues. As long as that is happening and the county attorney is representing the people and working for the people, it's nothing but support that should come from the sheriff's office, so that they can do their job and we can do ours. It's that teamwork that makes the community and the entire Basin a safer place.

Labrum: The Sheriff's Office and County Attorney need to have an open line of communication. Cases that are more complex may need an attorney's opinion as the case develops. All cases that are going to trial should be discussed by deputies, attorneys, and victims before the trial date. The Sheriff and the County Attorney are liaisons between their respective offices and should maintain a respectful and professional relationship so that suspects get a fair trial and victims get the services they deserve.

Q: Are you facing a shortage of officers? How do we get enough resources and officers to keep them from going to the Wasatch Front where they are offering sign-on packages and more competitive wages?

Isaacson: I came from a school if you enjoyed your job, you didn't work very much. That's the cliche. If you enjoy what you're doing, you never work a day in your life. By my history, you can tell I worked a lot. I enjoyed myself and I enjoyed my career. What I would love to do is try to to get that passed on to the generation that is there right now. Some of them have lost their glow inside. You've got the media from the East beating them up. You've got the bad guys on Facebook calling them a bunch of names. You've got a society that wonders where they went because we've taken programs out of schools. We've got more nothing to negative than we do positive. That affects their insight, their core beliefs. How we get that core belief back and that ember growing stronger and harder is better for our community. True, there is better money out on the Front. True, there is a sign on packages. Some of that stuff is going to have to be addressed. I do know of an agency out there that put out for an officer or two and got one or two applicants. And they couldn't take either one of them. They washed out in the beginning process. They didn't get the opportunity to go in too much. It's got to be dealt with and looked at, but it needs to be dealt with by offering more than just money because if you don't enjoy what you are doing, or there are reasons you don't enjoy what you're doing because of. Those because of's have to be addressed. That would be an administrative issue for the sheriff and his staff to overcome.

Labrum: All of the local agencies and most agencies throughout the state have been facing officer shortages and recruitment issues the last few years. Change in retirement benefits, national issues, and low pay have created a lack of interest in new recruits. Agencies are poaching veteran officers by offering more pay for experience, sign-on bonuses, and increased benefit packages. Uintah County has kept up to this point with a competitive wage and benefit package. In the near future, we will have to look at the benefits package to stay competitive. If we spend Uintah County time and money to train these officers we don't want them to leave because we have fallen behind.