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Sheriff's Protest
The race for Salt Lake County Sheriff got a little hot Saturday. Incumbent Sheriff Aaron Kennard found himself under attack by a group of his employees' relatives. News Specialist Pamela Davis has more on this story.
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Sheriff Aaron Kennard seems to think this is obvious political mudslinging. But this attack did not come directly from the sheriff's political opponent, Scott Miller. Instead, it came from people who represent the sheriff's own workers. Saturday morning, about a half a dozen women called a news conference to air complaints about what they see as unfair practices in the sheriff's office. They're speaking out on behalf of their husbands and partners who work for the sheriff - but cannot speak for themselves.
"POLICY AND PROCEDURE DISALLOWS THEM FROM PUBLICLY CHALLENGING AND/OR CRITICIZING ADMINISTRATION. HOWEVER, I AM NOT BOUND BY THAT POLICY. I AM BOUND ONLY TO MY OWN CONVICTIONS. AND I AM ANGRY."
Several women claim their husbands were given transfers as punishment.
"MY HUSBAND IS CURRENTLY A DEPUTY WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. HE ALSO IS ONE OF THE ONES WHO SUFFERED A PUNITIVE TRANSFER."
Aaron Kennard/Salt Lake County Sheriff: "THERE ARE NO PUNITIVE TRANSFERS IN THIS OFFICE."
Unaware of the news conference, Sheriff Aaron Kennard spent the morning campaigning on his own behalf. When we asked him to answer to some of the women's allegations, he told us transfers are done in a fair, methodical, non-political way.
Aaron Kennard/Salt Lake County Sheriff: "BY THE TIME A TRANSFER REACHES ME, IT HAS GONE THROUGH A SERGEANT, A LIEUTENANT, A CAPTAIN, A CHIEF DEUPTY AND AN UNDERSHERIFF. THESE PEOPLE REVIEW, SUGGEST, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MAKE THE TRANSFER RECOMMENDATIONS TO ME, AND I USUALLY JUST RUBBER-STAMP 'EM."
The women also alleged that morale in the sheriff's department is low, because they say the higher-ups play favorites.
"AWARDS ARE NOT GIVEN FAIRLY IN THIS OFFICE. THEY ARE GIVEN TO FRIENDS, AND FOR THINGS AND DEEDS THAT WEREN'T DONE."
Aaron Kennard/Salt Lake County Sheriff: "THE AWARDS COMMITTEE IS CONSISTING OF DEPUTIES, SERGEANTS, LIEUTENANTS, CAPTAINS. THESE PEOPLE INTERVIEW AND LOOK AT ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ME. I DON'T MAKE THE AWARDS, I SIMPLY GIVE THEM OUT."
It's just over one week until Election Day -- and you might think anyone with a serious complaint of corruption would have spoken up before now. On the other hand, these women say they chose to speak out now because now is the best time to actually solve their problem by voting in a new sheriff.
