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Show b erre Announces Candidacy r f , ' r - 1 r , ft ' - s . . f . BtK t ... 1 t;,.,J are needed to improve police service. An example he gave is when a citizen reports a burglary and they never see or hear from an officer again after the report is taken, it is a frustrating experience. This is one of the kinds of problems he believed could be solved with effective administrative procedures. He further stated that it is community com-munity and interagency cooperation, coupled with improved, systematic management programs that he would like to bring to the office of Utah County Sheriff, as well as responsiveness respon-siveness to the needs of the people. A law enforcement officer for 18 years, 15 of which have been as Chief of Police in Pleasant Grove, Mike lists among his qualifications his capability of running a first class department as shown by his depart- Mike Ferre, Pleasant Grove Police Chief, has announced his candidacy for Utah County Sheriff, claiming that now is the time for a change. A Democrat, Chief Ferre reported a substantial drop in crime in Pleasant Grove for 1981. This is due in part to the efforts of his department to institute in-stitute the Neighborhood Watch program throughout the community Mike noted that he sees the problems of rapid growth in the county area and is ready to face the change with the same vigor that has made him and his department one of the best in the state. A firm believer in public relations and followup, Chief Ferre said he knows the public needs to be made aware of the problems the county has and how they can be solved. "I promote public relations work to let people know what the police department is doing because the most important work a law enforcement department does is not catching a criminal, it is preventing the crime in the first place," Mike has said. He noted that juveniles commit a large portion of the serious crime in Utah County and that is why his department is actively involved in programs that anticipate their needs and problems, so we can help them learn to respect the law. In connection with this, he has his department sponsor and supervise recreational activities. They send officers to the schools to each class and promote good public relations. He added that they are actively cooperating and participating with other agencies and organizations in solving the problems of youth. Chief Ferre said he believes that crime must be dealt with systematically it if is to be overcome. He stressed that overall programs S " MIKE FERRE ment being chosen as one of the best in the state; his knowledge that men in the department need to be kept up to date on all aspects of law enforcement; en-forcement; can see the problems of city and county in not combining law enforcement efforts in many areas and can work to reduce duplication of services making it more efficient for both city and county residents. In addition, he is well known and respected in law enforcement throughout the state and was elected as president of the State Chiefs of Police Association; he knows the problems of officers as he worked his way up through the ranks; he is not afraid of work as he has started many safety, crime prevention, officer training and citizen awareness programs and would like to do the same in the county; and he has put forth the effort to become a licensed polygraph operator. A native of Pleasant Grove, Chief Ferre graduated from Pleasant Grove High School. He also attended the Northwestern University Traffic Institute, graduated from the Utah Police Academy, graduated from the Gomac Polygraph School, attended the University of Utah Detection of Deception and attended a seminar on syndicated and conspiratorial crime. In the community he serves on the Community Progress Committee, Educational Advisory Council, represented the state in Beckley, West Virginia ; was selected as one of five chiefs in Utah to attend the executive seminar in Colorado on organized crime; appointed to the Utah Security Guard Task Force; was a member and vice president of the Utah Chiefs of Police Association ; and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He has received the community service award in 1976 and a certificate cer-tificate of merit from the Utah League of Cities and Towns in 1978, in addition to many other certificates of achievement. He is married to the former Karen Johnston. They are the parents of six children. |