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Show A-3 The Park Record Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, March 5-8, 2005 CITY BEAT Heralded officer leaves force CITY EDITOR: Jay Hamburger 649-9014 ext.111 citynews@parkrecord.com YOU DONT HAVE TO ROB THE BANK •Z ' j J " T 7 T^ Chris Cebhardt brought big-city experience By JAY HAMBURGER Of the Record staff A heralded Park City police officer has resigned after a little more than a year with the department, opting for a law-enforcement post in the Salt Lake Valley. Chris Gebhardt's last official day with Park City is March 19, Police Chief Lloyd Evans said, but Gebhardt said Tuesday was his final day on the beat. Gebhardt, 36, said he took an officer position in Taylorsviile, which he said is creating a new police department in April. The new department, he indicated, offered a rare opportunity for an officer to help shape the police force's future. However, he also indicated that "unresolved issues'1 in the Park City Police Department influenced his decision to leave. He refused to elaborate but acknowledged that some of the issues were brought up in an unscientific survey of police officers conducted late in 2004. The survey found that morale was low and allegations of favoritism were rampant, among a litany of other complaints. Gebhardt said he met with top City Hall officials regarding his experience with the force. Evans said that Gebhardt told him that he "'felt under-utilized" in the department. The chief said the Police Department requires its officers to conduct lots of regular patrols and that Gebhardt possesses skills beyond those duties. "He was out there doing the job, adapted to Utah fairly well," Evans said. Gebhardt said he enjoyed lots of the police work in Park City, which gives officers the chance to work with lots of regular Parkites. "You get to know everybody. Everybody gets to know you . . . You get a sense of ownership in the community. That's what policing should be," he said. Gebhardt brought to the TO EAT AT THE GRUB STEAK! FILE PHOTO BY GRAYSON WEST;PARKRECORD Park City police officer Chris Gebhardt recently tendered his resignation and took a law-enforcement job in Taylorsviile. He said he enjoyed lots of his police work in Park City Police Department an extensive as it's there, it will be used when background in law enforcement, someone has a problem in a which is somewhat rare in Park neighborhood." City because many of the officers Gebhardt also was the officer hired are fresh from the police responsible for introducing the academy or are early in their department's so-called decoy careers. vehicle program, a method to Before taking the Park City combat speeding used elsewhere. position in December 2003, He said the program has been Gebhardt had worked with the a success since its debut earlier in Metropolitan Police Department, the winter. the law enforcement agency in In it, the department stations Washington, D.C., which is police SUVs along roads where among the largest police forces in speeding is known to be problemthe nation. atic, like on S.R. 224. His experience was of interest Police hope motorists slow to the local Police Department down when they see the vehicle, when he was hired. which sometimes has a dummy • Meanwhile, Gebhardt was inside. instrumental in starting two Park The police chief notes the proCity programs now used by the grams Gebhardt pushed but said Police Department. that the Police Department genHe launched the department's erally focuses on regular lawcrime-mapping system, an elec- enforcement work. tronic database that shows where "He has all these great skills . . crimes are reported and at what . and we hired him as a police times. officer," Evans said. The database is available to Gebhardt said there is a the public and the police say the chance he would return to the system is another crime-fighting Police Department under certain tool. conditions. "It shows that the Police "It saddens me to leave but I Department does not have any- don't discount the opportunity to thing to hide when it comes to come back as a ranking member crime in the community," of the department that effects Gebhardt said, adding, "As long change," he said. t, Two sides in the murder trial want to learn how to better try case jurors. "You have a unique opportuniOf the Record staff ty to talk to people you tried to Attorneys for the two sides in influence . . . You want to ask that i the Erik Low murder trial will person what worked, what didn't attempt to learn what they can work," Brown said. about their cases from jurors who Brown said it is more important were unable to render a decision for the defense to discuss the case . in February, forcing the judge to with the jurors who believed that 1 declare a mistrial. Low is guilty. In interviews, Ken Brown, who Brickey, meanwhile, said three led Low's defense team, and David jurors have contacted the prosecuBrickey, who is Summit County's tion side. He said two indicated chief prosecuting attorney, said that they believe Low is guilty and either they or attorneys working were unhappy with the mistrial. with them have spoken to a few of The third, he said, called to sugthe jurors in the period since a gest ways how the prosecution can mistrial was declared on Feb. 15. boost its case. Brown said the defense team "I think it's quite critical. It ! had spoken to three or four jurors gives us insight," Brickey said of by the middle of the week. the contact with the jurors and He said he wants to learn why adding that he will attempt to conthe jurors were unable to acquit tact some of the other jurors. Low. Low shot Michael Hirschey "We want to find out, No. 1, twice on May 8, 2003 in apartment 1 why they couldn't reach a decision. 9-B of the Parkside Apartments What was the problem?" Brown on Kearns Boulevard. said, adding, "The ones that we Hirschey, who was struck in the talked to have been open." torso and in the head, died at the Brown said he wants to discuss scene. the defense strategy with the A medical examiner found that By JAY HAMBURGER KenGarff. Nissan of Orem 165 E. 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The shooting occurred after a night of roughhousing, drinking and cocaine use. The prosecution alleged that Low meant to kill Hirschey but the defense claimed that Low was acting in self-defense after Hirschey came at him. The five-man, three-woman jury was split 4-4 on the murder charge. A unanimous vote is needed for either a conviction or an acquittal. The prosecution is pursuing a retrial. Judge Deno Himonas on Wednesday set a June 20 date for the retrial. The jury spent 13 hours in deliberations over two days before telling Judge Robert Hilder that they were unable to reach a verdict, forcing the mistrial. In an interview this week, a juror, Heidi Hanley, who lives in Park Meadows, said the jury spent hours talking about the second shot. 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