Two weeks ago, two Tremonton-Garland Police Department officers were shot and killed responding to a domestic disturbance call just a few dozen miles down the interstate.  Sgt. Lee Sorensen, 56, and Officer Eric Estrada, 31, were fired upon by a man who emerged from the home that had made several hang-up calls to 911, alerting police that there may be an incident underway.  The man emerged while officers were speaking to a resident of the home and he  immediately opened fire.  A responding deputy and a K-9 unit who arrived on the scene were also struck by gunfire, and taken for medical treatment.  Bystanders at the scene eventually persuaded the suspect to drop his weapon, and he was apprehended without further bloodshed.  Multiple agencies responded to the incident, and as many as 50 law enforcement officers were ultimately involved.

While Tremonton is a larger city than Malad, it isn’t really all that much larger.  In many ways, the factors that were at play in the Garland area are even more accentuated in a place like Oneida county, where the nearest agency backup is even farther away and short-staffing is an even bigger concern.  The small town realities of this area can also create issues.  Homes in remote parts of the county can easily create situations where an approaching officer is highly visible while the occupants and their activities remain hidden.  Most of the time, this isn’t a problem, but obviously a bad actor can use such a situation to their advantage.  The general feeling of safety and the neighborliness of community members can also potentially create a false sense of security, in the sense that unexpected events can by definition happen without warning anywhere.

In response to events in Tremonton, Rhonda Neal and the rest of the Oneida Deputies organization wanted to do something to let the local sheriff’s office know that it was supported by residents of the county.  Within a week, a plan was in place to “turn Malad Blue” to demonstrate that support.  And while the idea was wholeheartedly supported by the Oneida Deputies organization, those in attendance at the Deputies meeting agreed that it was Rhonda’s initiative that got the ball rolling.

“I just felt like we had to do something to show you guys [the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, guests of honor at the meeting] that this community supported you and loved you,” Neal said at last Thursday’s
Deputies dinner.

In the broader community, there were a number of people and groups that showed their support for law enforcement.  Residents were encouraged to wear blue, put on blue lights, and put up blue hearts and ribbons to “paint the town blue.’

The courthouse was one location that dressed itself up for the occasion—fitting, since it is the base of operations for the Sheriff’s Office and Dispatch.  In addition to the fantastic decorations put up by courthouse employees, the basement was also covered with hearts and messages from Oneida County’s school kids, who drew pictures and wrote messages of appreciation and support.  Some were funny, some were personal and heartfelt, but all indicated the high level of respect and gratitude on the part of Malad’s kids, which is reflected by their parents.  

Sheriff Doug Williams spoke to the group about some of the needs of the department, and how keeping the community safe is the overriding priority.  In conjunction with that, though, is the compelling need for more staff in order to allow for less strenuous rotations, overtime, and some breathing room for the officers and dispatchers.

The Oneida Deputies are not a law enforcement organization, but a community group made up of citizens who support law enforcement within the county and elsewhere.