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Show Utah police face challenges Park Record Thursday, October 1, 1987 Page A3 by SENA TAYLOR Record staff writer Utah peace officers were told last week that they face numerous challenges, one of which is to "stand tall" to break out of "the comfort zone" that can keep them from being be-ing willing to think about new ideas. A group of about 125 Utah law en-forcement en-forcement department administrators ad-ministrators and key command personnel, per-sonnel, such as sheriff's and police chiefs, gathered in Park City Sept. 24 and 25 for a "Professionalism in Law Enforcement" symposium. It was hosted by the Utah Peace Officer Of-ficer Standards and Training Council Coun-cil (P.O.S.T.). Davis County Sheriff Brent Johnson, who is the chairman of the P.O.S.T. Council, encouraged the peace officers to develop an attitude of working together as they face a variety of challenges, that include rebuilding the credibility of peace officers when it is shaken, and meeting the demands of being cost-effective cost-effective departments. Johnson noted P.O.S.T. has been in existence for 20 years, and he enumerated some of the improvements im-provements that have been made during that time: mandatory certification cer-tification and training of officers, 40 hours of in-service training to become certified, immediate train ing before certification, a provision that allows the revocation of certification, cer-tification, and a statute for fees and fines. But even with those improvements, im-provements, he said peace officers need to continually upgrade and professionalize pro-fessionalize themselves and their departments. Norman C. Boehm was the keynote speaker at the introduction of the symposium Thursday. He is the executive director of the California Califor-nia P.O.S.T. Commission. He asked the group, "Have we identified our customers do we know who they are? Or have we missed the boat?" He was referring to the public's perception of peace officers and the amount of monetary and other support sup-port they are given through tax dollars. "My thesis," he continued, "is that if we pay more attention to the sensitivity of the victims and the witnesses of crimes, we will build such a support group that the question ques-tion of funding won't be as big as it has been in the past. Their feelings toward the process of law enforcement enforce-ment will improve, because service is what we're all about." The topic of public support was briefly noted by Park City Council member Tom Shellenberger, who welcomed the group to Park City. He praised the Park City Police Department, noting that the population popula-tion of the town jumps from about 4,000 to 15,000 or 20,000 people through the course of a year, and is well-handled, in his opinion, by the local force of about 14 officers. Still, he said, "at budget time people jump on the police department because they're the most visible." During the symposium, the peace officers were addressed by national law enforcement experts on the topics of employee discipline and decertification, in-service training, selection and hiring, emergency vehicle operation and the use of force. Lt. Gov. Val Oveson spoke at a luncheon Friday during the closing session of the symposium. , The purpose of the symposium was to cooperatively produce conclusions con-clusions and make recommendations recommenda-tions to the P.O.S.T. Council on a spectrum of critical issues, in order to develop goals that will lead to increased in-creased professionalism. It was held inconjunction with the Executive Development Institute an organization created five years ago by the Utah State Chiefs of Police Association, the Utah State Sheriffs Association, and the Utah State Division of Peace Officer Standards Stan-dards and Training for the training of chief law enforcement administrators. Stop abuse campaign begins by HEIDI WEST Record staff writer The Counseling Institute in Park City treated close to 100 spouse abuse victims and their male partners part-ners in just the last two years. But this is just "the tip of the iceberg" says Dr. Marion Ayers, director of the institute. She estimates these mostly court-referred court-referred cases may account for as little as ten percent of the actual incidents in-cidents in the Park City Summit County area, because domestic violence "is a hidden problem" which many families never report. The institute (formerly the Park City Counseling Institute), is tackling tackl-ing the problem head-on. It is joining with other treatment centers and "women and men across the nation working to stop violence against women" in a month-long education campaign during October, says Institute In-stitute spouse abuse advisory board member, Becky Richards, R.N. The campaign is being organized by the National Coalition Against Violence. In Utah, it is the Domestic Violence Council, on which Ayers sits, which is taking the lead. The Council has asked for and received Utah Gov. Norm Bangerter's blessing bless-ing for the campaign. He has declared October Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In Summit County, the education campagin will begin with a candleight ceremony Monday, Oct. 5, in the Park City Library Courtyard Cour-tyard at 7 :30 p.m. The month of education is primarily primari-ly aimed at abused women who are not aware of resources available to them, says Richards. "Women who really need help can't find it." She adds that women who are being be-ing abused often will not leave their husbands because they are afraid of being alone, are financially dependent depen-dent or fear their husbands will "track them down and kill them." Locally, the institute offers counseling for both the women and their families, and can refer them to a shelter in times of crisis. The shelters, located in Provo (phone 377-5500), Ogden (phone 392-7273) and Salt Lake (phone 355-2804 or 486-1811), accept women and their children immediately upon request. They are mostly used to house women who are frightened to return home or have no where else to go. Shelter personnel will also help women place appropriate phone calls to the police or county clerk for citations or restraining orders. They will also assist in getting the abuser and victim enrolled in a counseling program. Another resource is the national toll-free domestic violence hotline number (1-800-333-7233) to help women find the quickest local source of help. Or, Park City women can call the institute at 649-2426 for advice ad-vice and referral. Unfortunately, Utah has need for the shelters and the public awareness campaign. Twenty to 40 percent of Utah households experience ex-perience some sort of spouse abuse problem, says Richards. In Summit County, although there is no exact count, the numbers are expected to be higher than the state average, she adds. That is because alcohol use in Summit is higher than for most counties, according to figures supplied by the Summit County Prevention Center. "...it's just the tip of the iceberg." Dr. Marion Ayers, Director The Counseling Institute Eleven percent of the population in Summit County is considered to be in the heavy drinker class. The national average is eight percent, and Utah claims only three percent of its citizens fall in that category. Alcohol both leads to violence directly in some cases, and is a sign of the stress which causes some husbands to physically abuse their wives, says Richards. The institute can help reduce what it calls the "stress overload" which can ultimately lead to violence. Nationwide, statistics show that close to six million women are abused abus-ed by their husbands each year, and 3,000 to 4,000 are beaten to death. One-eighth of all murders in the U.S. are caused by men killing their wives. Although an estimated 50 percent of all married women are beaten at least once by their husbands, spouse abuse is one of the most under-reported under-reported of all crimes, reports the Utah Spouse Abuse Task Force. Only On-ly one of ten episodes is ever reported to the police. In half of all battered women cases, the children are beaten as well. This leads to profound psychological effects in some cases. For instance, it has been shown that the majority (63 percent) of boys ages 11 to 20 who commit murder kill the man who beat their mother. And, 75 percent of men who abuse their wives witnessed physical abuse while they were growing up. In view of these figures the Counseling Institute and other treatment treat-ment centers involved in the spouse abuse education campaign this month, have adopted as their motto, the "cessation of violence among court or self referred clients, thereby breaking the cycle of violence in those families." The candleight ceremony at the Park City Library Courtyard will be short, promises Richards. It begins at 7:30 p.m., and will include music, a talk from a former victim of domestic violence, a prayer and the lighting of candles. The ceremony is "in memory of those who have suffered suf-fered and died from domestic violence and in celebration of the work done to end violence. ' ' Chamber music receives grant The Summit County Commission granted $500 Tuesday to the Deer Valley Chamber Music Festival out of its travel fund. Festival planners had asked for a grant earlier this year, before its schedule of concerts had ended, but it had been submitted to the Park City ChamberBureau which used to divide the money from this fund before the county decided to apportion it. In other requests, the Kimball Art Center asked for $2,000 to go toward the Park City Art Festival, and the Kamas Valley Fiesta Days planners asked for funding as well. But commissioners forwarded those requests for next year's consideration. The Art Center made their request after the event, and the Fiesta Days had already received $1,400 of funding from the commission earlier this year in the form of a general fund grant. 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Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. $2.95 Nightly Dinner Special Your choice of meat or fish Daily 5:00-1 0:30 p.m. $4.95 Sunset Steak Dinner Daily 5:00-10:30 p.m. $5.95 Sunday Brunch Eggsorcise your hunger Sundays 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. $12.95 Seniors $9.95 Children $5.95 Park City's Gathering Place Resort Hotel & Confeience Center 1800 Park A ve. 649-7000 (D 7 1 3 A ' ''' Anne! City Council October 6 Paid for by Olch for City Council Committee i: |