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Show j iy. Patrol Duty in Remote S.E. Utah Is Demanding and Dangerous Work I Hi Ali"" Nl"l ,iiii,.r i... . tU All1" NleUon $,inf people aigue (li.it the sm(lt ol l,u W t"l l,l,Kt'' s l j Southeastern Utah. Others jo as ciuli.'ed its anyone. nhere. I'he truth probably ,f, somewhere in between. In the d.i s 01 Hutch C'assidy did other outlaws who rode through, hUi out lie 10, or just i-jiiie to harass a frontier low 11, it wasn't too easy 10 apprehend appre-hend them ,,lt"v decided to "liijht shuck" (make a getaway). For one tiling, law enforcement officers w ere few jnJ far between. For another, ihe numerous canyons, cliffs tnd mountains in the area I ere ideal for hiding out. 1 We have our share of hard 1 cises today, despite the I trippings of civilization. Ouite 1 often they come from cities. I nv cities. Fast or West, with the notion that this is still the l "Wild West." Movies and other media don't do much to dispel the notion tlmt this is Mill, the untamed frontier where outlaws can do their thing without fear of reprisal. These outlaws include cur thieves who figure the barren desert should he easy to get through on their w ay to deliver either themselves, the car or both to a particular destination. destina-tion. There are the drug dealers who have the same impression as the car thieves. I'o their surprise these criminals, crimin-als, as well as those in other categories, all learn the same tiling, l ither they are caught themselves, or as they travel through, they hear about someone like them being caught. A Mistaken Impression Unfortunately, law enforcement enforce-ment officers and courts have felt hamstrung recently by certain high court decisions. That, lack of funds, and lack of correctional andor rehabilitation rehabilita-tion institutions quite often keep any meaningful sentences sen-tences froin being handed down. Of course the fines that me levied in place of jail sentences must leave some impression. At any rate, the fact remains that Southeastern Utah isn't the sleepy, hillbilly type place many of these outlaws must envision when they think they'll have un easy time here. One of the main reasons it's more difficult to get away with a crime here is the number and caliber of our law enforcement people. Unlike the Old West days when the lawmen in Grand und San Juan Counties might have included a couple of sheriffs and two or three town marshals, we now have highway patrolmen, sheriffs and their deputies, tow n police chiefs and their men in the major tow ns. ! ' - i r ... 'i . 1 . . L , ....... 1 -K t'.t'siMW.IY " 1 . ' .. . - , - I ; K ' ' " ' : i ; I j It's sometimes dangerous lor a Highway Patrol Trooper to approach a vehicle he has stopped (or I some violation. Trooper Phil Barney Is shown here asking a motorist (or I.D. The 61 mile stretch r Barney patrols is isolated which seems to encourage more than the usual -number of dangerous criminals to travel through here. 1 . .. . . .. ; - .... i . ' . , .. r-.--wTf "" 1 I j v -j ' UHyAf PATHOL f " Anyone receiving a ticket (or speeding or other motor vehicle violation along 1-70 between Crescent Junction and the Colorado state line will find himself greeting the Justice of the Peace here. Al Lange is the J.P. at Crescent Junction. '" " - , .' " ' 7 h I i . ,--J,"t J ., I i It .. -vv' I i -I -ftfftu, X ' - "-lV-:-ri'.':5 ! ... ii lhz t I Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Phil Barney Is shown here at the extreme eastern f "mils of his patrol route. The Colorado state line Is 61 lonely miles from his ' western boundary on I-70. This stretch o( road is considered to be 61 miles o( desolastion by some people and a view of millions of acres of scenic beauty to others. To Barney It's "the office." The sight of a Utah Highway Patrol car can Modern Agencies Discouraging as it might seem to the self styled "desperados" who envision easy pickings in a "Hutch C'assidy" locale, the extend of modern law enforcement consists con-sists of more than the sheriff picking a posse and riding after the bad guvs on Old l'aint. I!ach law enforcement agency has its own vehicles, vehicles as modern as any that come through here. In addition there are modern communications communica-tions systems to keep in touch with all other agencies in this and surrounding states. The communication system, in itself, is one of the major obstacles a lawbreaker will face if he tries to "light a shuck" today. Very few, if any, of them are equipped, either physically or mentally, to attempt a getaway through the canyons or mountains. Instead they usually try the highways. With the limited number of roads it's simple task to block them off long before they can get out of the area. Nobody is trying to kid anybody else by saying that some of these crooks don't literally get away with murder at times. But it can be pointed out most emphatically that the chances of getting aw ay w ith a crime here are far less than in the big cities. That fact is due to the caliber of the law enforcement agencies and the sparse population. Patrol an Kllte Group The Utah Highway Patrol is an elite crew of law enforcement enforce-ment officers and the group we'll discuss. Until the mid-I950's mid-I950's there were no highway patrol troopers stationed in Southeastern Utah. Today there are 9 of them under the supervision of Sgt. Don Proctor. They patrol District L to Green River north of Moab, to the Colorado State line on 1-70. to the Colorado State line near Paradox, Colo., on State Road 46; to the Colorado State line near Dove Creek, Colo, on U. S. 666, and to the Arizona State line on U. S. 163. With increased traffic in the area and a corresponding increase of traveling criminals, who range from the brutal and violent to the petty thief, residents here are grateful for the presence of the Highway Patrol. Literally hundreds of those criminals have been apprehended by the local state troopers. All too often, though the trooper has had to take his life in his hands during these captures. Often the confrontation takes tak-es place when a car is stopped for a routine offense such as speeding or improper passing. At other times it will be during a registration check at a road block. Although it ' happens less often, a dangerous situation situa-tion can be anticipated when the trooper spots a known wanted vehicle. Yon Always Wonder With the many contacts made by a trooper each day, it can be unsettling to wonder whether or not a given Highway Patrol Trooper Bob Low is one of 10 troopers stationed Southeastern Utah. He's been assigned to Montlcello (or 18 years. In that time he's apprehended his share o( criminals. However, the job hasn't always been easy. Hazards of the job Included his being shot In 1971 . The people who did the shooting are still locked up. Low was luckier than an Arizona lawman who was killed by the same people. situation will be hazardous. Fortunately, to date, when a hazardous situation has been encountered here, the outcome out-come has been in the trooper's favor. Three extreme examples examp-les of routine checks by two highway patrolmen in Southeastern South-eastern Utah illustrate how an everyday situation can become dangerous. In January 1971, Trooper Bob Low pulled a vehicle over about 12 to 15 miles north of Monticello. His purpose was to cite the driver for a dangerous and improper passing of another vehicle. Such an action is more or less routine. However, from the moment Low reached the vehicle, the situation became critical. The driver had a pistol ready waiting and pointed. Both men in the vehicle ordered Low to get in. They then drove down the graveled road (now paved) leading to Canyonlands National Park while discussing the most practical way to kill the trooper and dispose of the body. Low knew he was to be killed. He managed to get out of the moving car but was seriously wounded during his escape. The would-be killers searched for him for a while but evidently became nervous and left. Trooper Low then made his way to U. S. 163 where a young couple picked him up and took him to Monticello where he made his report. Criminals Apprehended Road blocks were set up in Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. The fugitives at first eluded these but were be a welcome sight to a traveler In the vast desert of Southeastern Utah. Troopei Barney states that he rarely travels from Crescent Junction to the Colorado stati line without (inding at least one motorist who needs assistance. People who hav never been here before are often terrified when they break down on this desolati stretch of road. eventually caught in Arizona after killing an Arizona lawman. law-man. Fortunately these killers were caught and are in prison today. Bob Low spent nine months recuperating from his wounds. Of the nine months, more than four and one half months were spend in the hospital with his condition serious too much of the time. But Bob Low's story doesn't end there. More or less fully recovered in September 1971, he returned to patrol duty. In the company of San Juan County Deputy Sheriff Verle Greene, Low stopped a car for a routine check. At this point insult was added to injury. Within days of returning to duty, he again found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Omitting details, this episode was resolved with the would-be killer getting what he was going to hand out. To put it simply, in spite of his advantage and obvious intent to kill, the hoodlum ended up dead. We emphasize that the deceased himself forced an undoubted kill-or-be-killed situation. sit-uation. What would you have done? Investigations conducted after af-ter the incident turned up the fact that the car was stolen. The man had seriously beaten and robbed the lawful owner of the car while in California. In addition to the stolen car, the hood was using his victim's driver's license and credit cards all the way to Southeastern Southeast-ern Utah. It would be reasonable to wonder how many others fell victim to a creature who evidently felt it was fair to prey on others. Another Serious Incident Another case involving a routine check took place in Thompson, Utah. Trooper Scott Skidmore had checked for registration of an out of state car. The driver didn't have any registration but had given a plausible reason why. Routinely, Skidmore asked the man to accompany him while he placed a phone call to verify the story given. In this case, details of the incident are easy to give. They resemble what we have been led to expect from the "high noon showdowns" show-downs" on television and in the movies. Expecting the story to be verified, Skidmore was merely following procedure proce-dure in making the telephone call. Routine and expectations went down the drain as he heard the driver tell him to put the phone down. Turning, Skidmore saw the gun pointed at him. The man fired, hitting Skidmore. Despite his wound and cramped conditions, Skidmore, Skid-more, knowing his life was on the line, drew and fired, and killed his would-be assassin. In this case also, investigation revealed that the car was stolen. More importantly a would-be killer got what he was going to give, in spite of his initial advantage. Please note his initial advantage included putting a bullet into his intended victim, r These incidents are excep-5 excep-5 tional. Although our troopers 3 catch many criminals, the 5 circumstances surrounding the (continued on B2) Highway Patrol Duty in Southeastern Utah . . . (continued from Bl) captures don't usually have such grim overtones. If the troopers had their way. there wouldn't be any such life and death situations as those just descfibed. The survival of these lawmen is amazing and a cause for thanks on the part of law abiding citizens. But even more amazing to the average citizen should be the fact that these men keep the majority of potentially destructive situations situa-tions under control. Standards are High The highway patrol trooper's troop-er's expertise isn't accidental. First of all, admission standards stand-ards are high. Even after a man is accepted by the Highway Patrol he must successfully complete a twelve week academy training course. No matter how long a trooper has been on the job he must still take forty hours of formal training per year. One example of a trooper's expertise is found in the person of Phil Barney. Mr. Barney's territory includes the lonely stretch of Interstate 70 between Floy Wash west of Crescent Junction to the Colorado State line. That's 61 miles of desolation to some and millions of acres of scenic beauty to others. When asked why he bothered both-ered to patrol this stretch w hen he could see everyone at Crescent Junction eventually, he replied, "The main reason is to help any stranded motorists." He went on to sav he rarely made the run w ithout seeing at least one car with motor trouble, out of gas. or with a flat tire and no spare. "If you think everyone hates to see a patrol car. you should see the relief some of these stranded people show when I come along, especially at night," he said. It's particularly particular-ly frightening for a first time visitor to be stranded on that road at night. Giving Aid Duties of a highway patrol trooper anywhere in the state include giving aid to motorists in distress, enforcing safe driving standards, and ensuring ensur-ing compliance with state and national motor vehicle laws. It's while performing these duties that the patrolmen find lawbreakers. We're not talking talk-ing about the occasional speeder, but the dangerous or potentially dangerous individual individ-ual such as those with a stolen car, or a car full of drugs. In the two years Phil Barney has been stationed in Southeastern Utah, he has recovered 19 stolen vehicles, each driven by the thief. In addition he has arrested an average of 117 drug violators per year. According to Barney, when several troopers w ork together on a roadblock the operation will usually net at least one stolen car. AWOL servicemen, juvenile runaways, and illegal aliens along with other wanted people. Those are in addition to "Minor" violations such as expired drivers licenses, safe-tv safe-tv defects and improper registration. regis-tration. A Friendly Bunch In small towns such as we have in Southeastern Utah, citizens have a chance to know' the highway patrolmen. We know the are friendly, above average in intelligence and dedication, are family men, and are truly concerned with public safety. When we're stopped for speeding or some other routine check we realize the reserved manner of the patrolman is a safety precaution. precau-tion. He doesn't know whether or not the person he's approaching is one of the "old west outlaw" types who believes what he sees on television or an average law-abiding citizen. Put yourself your-self in the trooper's place. We did for a day and our reaction w as, "This would be a hell of a way to make a living!" The trooper's reply was, "Yes, it may be, but I wouldn't want to do anything else. Because there are men like this on our highways, the modern-day Butch Cassidys, Billy the Kids and Jesse James should think twice about throwing their weight around here. Our people will give them every opportunity to be nice guys but. if that's not the way they want it, Jimmy the Greek would probably give long odds in favor of the "outlaw" coming out on the short end. In the meantime, the average citizen here is grateful, not only for the highway patrol, but for all our law enforcement people. |