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Show Rom Eobinson . , .. . ..." ..- -v, .. , , . . ;. ".. ': . ........ .... . . T-r-( . '.i .: ! . Tl Sieirffl ireleete mldD yew to iiiiiiiiiii y N t' , . .1, j ' & T ; ' f Jf " r C - ,. v - " i ' y ' ' . , - ' V k if ByNanChalat Summit County is the kind , of place where a $30 purse snatching still makes the Police Blotter in the local newspaper. Sheriff Ron Ro-. Ro-. binson would like to see it stay that way. "People used to think burglaries and vandalism were important crimes. I still do," he said reflecting on a career of 20 years in law enforcement, I8V2 of them as sheriff of the county. Robinson advanced from Chief of the Coalville Police Department to County Sheriff in 1962. Summit County 'was a quieter place then and the sheriff got along fine with the assistance assis-tance of only two deputies, one full and one part-time. But according to Robinson, that was before the ski industry had put Park City on the map and before the fuel crisis had channeled a huge transient summer population months and that is wrong. I'd like to see them get more supervision right away." For added counseling in the Park City area, Robinson has referred several cases to the Prevention Center. "It has been a very good program," he added. Growing pains have not only hit the youth but the rest of the population as well. Fortunately though Robinson noted that Summit County was spared the brunt of the energy boom which befell neighboring counties Transient workers in the energy related fields found that Coalville didn't have : enough housing facilities and : that rents in Park City were too high. As a result, they commute from Evanston and Salt Lake. "We never had to . deal with the situation which occurred in Evanston or Rock Springs. As a matter of fact, the oU companies ended up contributing several hundred thousand dollars to the law "The people in Summit County have always been great to me ... no matter how much trouble I've been in," reflected Ron Robinson, who claims to be serving his final term as county sheriff. of tourists into Summit Counties recreation areas. . "There are more felonies (i.e. thefts and burglaries) now and since many of them are committed by transients who can pick up and leave at a moment's notice, the ' investigation is a longer ' process than it used to be," he explained. The Sheriffs, -Department now employs six ' J full-time deputies, one de- puty on a part-time basis and six dispatchers. In the past year, the county also saw fit ' to build a new, expanded and modernized jail. Not only has the transient , population of Summit County ' grown, in both the summer and winter months but so has the permanent population and with it there has been a . proportionate increase in the .local crime rate. Juvenile problems concern .Robinson especially though ' W "t',- ' - - -' ' 's f ' - - - . T "'?-"--' - ' , , , - svf .j rjf v; - - j ? ' t ; Jn, . - , - -5 f.-' . r " " - ' , r - - - - ' . - - , , x, , . . , ' r , - ' , " I I ' - ,!l' ; ' h ' vv-o'' ' ; v To meet the growing needs of the community, Summit County expanded the courthouse in Coalville. - 4vf! fr-f-': r''0'"-:-'7 r;4; h' -it i ' "r . " - - 1 ' u ft n -mM tf ,s ' I -1- ;,. - i. . .::.....:V ,i . - r - - -'''"s.4.v-:- ... - -...-M : he points out that Summit County juvenile crime rate is still far below the Wasatch Front. "The use of alcohol is more on the increase," he said. ' Hot just here, but all over the country. I think that it is our 1 problem." Robinson is particularly alarmed by the ; reaction he receives from many parents when he notifies" them that their children have been picked up for drunkenness. "They -wjl 'Thank goodness it wasn't drugs,' but as far as I am concerned there is no difference." Robinson doesn't want to be branded as a teetoller, he once worked as a i bartender himself, but he points out that statistics .show that one out of every five kids who start drinking becomes , a problem drinker. "And as far as I know there is just no way of telling which one it will be," he added. : Summit County's juvenile offenders are tried by Salt Lake judges but the hearings are held in Coalville. The system is adequate for current needs but the sheriff really feels that the whole system of handling juveniles needs to be improved. "The young, first time offender that is where we' shouid be putting all of our money. There are kids who are sentenced who don't See a probation officer for six enforcement agencies in those communities."- Robin-, son explained that the oil industry employs a lot of fine people but that they do not always . run an adequate background check on their workers. "It has been determined deter-mined that the problems that ' have arisen conie froni a : small part of t the jpopulatipn who have established long criminal records." 1 On the .whole Robmson, is confident that" the department depart-ment has grown to match the growth of,the:county. "We ; haye. one of ;the best , emergency communications systems in the state; he said. In addition to three direct lines to the sheriffs Deputy Lcoa WCde hss been with the Sheriffs Depsrt-cest Depsrt-cest zlzce 1552. cboperative," he coiitinued, "no matter how much trouble I've been in." Robinson has run unopposed as sheriff for the last eight years. At this time, he says that he has no intention of running again. His current term expires in 1982. It has been a term which has embraced much progress but also some of the most difficult decisions of Robinson's Robin-son's career. The Singer case, he says, is something that he could never go j through again. Ron Robinson was born in Coalville. He has five children, child-ren, none of whom he i expects will ever go into law enforcement. "The problem is that we are trying to., make rules for a perfect society," he reflected, "and after all we are dealing with humans who are by nature, imper- feet. Also, we are involved in : a very permissive society and I don't think that we have learned how to deal with it. " .. i '. " i ifX j'LrJl'l il, rr,i , yrowi 1 1 " -"" UjlP H PH WOTI- '' ''5 ;! 1 1 f r f i , : - z:z "'ipl hi . 1 'if ! M;.-v:j.; ;:v :r ' f;' v'i'" 'i I If If I ' v - A dispatch the communications system includes a hot line to all major state ports of entry. The service provides information, infor-mation, reports on wanted persons and it is also tied into the national emergency' warning system. "We"" worked hard to get those additional lines into the dispatch so that people wouldn't haye to make a toll call," he added. There is now a 911 line in Kamas and a direct line in Park - City (649-9561) in addition to the Coalville number (336-5561). The funding for those lines comes in part from the Law .Enforcement Planning t Ad ministration t which was . stituted by Nixon to provide matching funds to small law enforcement agencies. " We are also fortunate to have some fine EMTs and ambulance crews. Their response res-ponse times are excellent. "They are some very dedicated dedi-cated people," Robinson said, "and I appreciate them. "The people in Summit , County have always been . The new addition to the coorthocss bdsdes a modernized jail. |