Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby said he is vying for a third term because he wants to continue serving the community. That, he said, is the most important thing.
“The employees and the team that we have together have more … we’d like to accomplish,” Rigby said. “We feel like we have a great thing going, and we’d like to continue to do that for the community.”
Rigby, a Republican, is facing Wasatch County Emergency Management Director Jeremy Hales for the sheriff’s post. The two will be on the June 23 GOP primary election ballot. Summit County detective Eric Mainord will also appear, though no votes cast for him will be counted after his withdrawal from the race.
At the Wasatch County Republican Party nominating convention in April, Rigby was the top vote-getter over Hales and Mainord. However, Rigby did not earn 60% of the vote. Rigby and Hales also chose the signature-gathering process, which triggers a primary election.
Both candidates discussed their views on the future of the department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, fiscal responsibility and investigations into the Sheriff’s Office at a candidate forum in May.
On public trust — a heavily-covered issue in the sheriff’s race — Rigby said that he plans to promote quality relationships between the Sheriff’s Office and the public in the future, along with other law enforcement agencies across the Wasatch Back.
Regarding growth in the Wasatch Back, Rigby said that there will be “growing pains” and that all neighborhoods in Wasatch County are unique. It’s important, he said, for the Sheriff’s Office to change alongside the county.
And, in terms of ICE involvement in law enforcement, Rigby said that it is a “serious issue” in Wasatch County. Rigby said in the candidate forum that it has been challenging to work with the federal agency. Rigby said it is the sheriff’s job to ensure that ICE officers are following the law and not violating constitutional rights.
If he is reelected, Rigby said he hopes to continue to work on a five-year plan that’s continually updated within the Sheriff’s Office.
“We always challenge ourselves in the upcoming year with new things, and so some specifics have to do with community outreach,” Rigby said.
Specifically, Rigby said he would like to start interlocal coordination with the Sheriff’s Office and Wasatch County municipalities.
“The intent is to understand better what it is that in each of the cities or towns we can do to help them at the community level,” Rigby said.
Rigby added that he would like to prompt more citizen engagement. And, he is looking forward to making further progress in training law enforcement officers. That includes firearm and defensive tactics training — what Rigby calls “core disciplines” in law enforcement.
When asked what he would most look forward to if elected to a third term, Rigby said it’s making the community safer. That includes monitoring growth, reaching out to new developments and neighborhoods, which he said are all a constant process.
He also said providing direct services and connecting community members with law enforcement is crucial.
“We’re always trying to focus on the numbers and make improvements performance-wise. But, really, for a lot of residents, what matters is how they feel and so it’s an important part of having a partnership in the community,” Rigby said.
Ballots for the primary election were mailed on June 2. The Republican primary election will be held on June 23. All ballots must be received by the county offices by June 23, which is also when in-person voting will take place.
Secure ballot drop box locations have been open 24 hours a day since June 3 and close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Early in-person voting will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 15, 16, 17 and 18 at the Wasatch County Administration building. Election Day voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The winner of the primary election will face Paul Moore, who recently became an unaffiliated candidate for sheriff, in November.