November 2007 The Utah Sheriff, 4th Quarter, Volume 5, Issue 4 The Weber County Sheriff's Office by Sheriff Brad Slater Time for thanksgiving and glad tidings. Wow! Here we are in the midst of the Holiday Season and it seems like I just barely put away the Christmas lights from last season. I enjoy this time of year for a variety of reasons and over the past many years, some of the reasons are the same, other reasons have become more important that others and thus changed the importance of some reasons over another. In all cases, however, I find that it important for me to take inventory of the blessings I have received and give thanks. First from a work perspective, I am thankful for the men and women who work in the criminal justice arena. Daily, there are countless stories of excellent service being rendered by sworn and non-sworn staff that directly impacts our safety and quality of life. Their efforts are not always immediately observable by the general public, but when you check behind the scenes, you see dedicated people who work in the trenches, anxious to do a good and honorable job, usually without fanfare. There is no way that I could perform the duties of the elected office of Sheriff without great employees. How grateful I am for the employees of our office and the many other local, state and federal criminal justice agencies who choose to be in this arena and perform their respective duties valiantly. As a citizen of the United States, I am thankful for the men and women who serve in our armed forces, protecting us from harm from foreign and domestic enemies as well as preserving our rights to say and do many things that would be acts of treason in other times or places. The sacrifice of our military members and their families should be honored and revered by all, regardless of personal political persuasion. Many members of our office are members of the military. Some of our staff have served and returned home, while others are still serving oversees and abroad. Gratefully, some have come home unscathed, while others with scars and wounds, some visible, some not. Some will be dealing with these injuries for rest of their lives. As a father, son, uncle and neighbor, how can I not be anything other than respectful, grateful and humbled by their efforts? As a husband, father, brother, and son I am grateful for a terrific wife who is my best friend, children who tolerate their frumpy "old man" and seem to do o.k. even with a farther who is a "cop". For my parents who gave my sister and I a great home to grow up in and even though it has been a long time since I played in any organized sports, are still my biggest cheerleaders. As I visit with people from thorough our county and state, I find that I am not alone in these feelings of gratitude and appreciation for the many good and great things that are constantly around us. Even with all the news of war, crime and greed, there are so many more positive things going on. As members of the Utah Sheriffs Association, we enjoy great opportunities to learn from one another, share mutual interests and unite in support of each other on matters that make our counties and state a better place to raise our families and live our lives. Please accept my sincere "Thank you" your friendship and support of the Utah Sheriffs Association. May you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season and a fantastic New Year. VICTIM SENDS WEBER COUNTY DEPUTY A THANKS!... Detective Lowther: As I start to write this I can't help but wonder how many thank you notes you guys get for the work you do, but I'll bet it's not near enough. When the Weber County Sheriff Dept and the SWAT team responded to my husband's house recently, it was an experience I'll never forget for many reasons. But what I'd like to say is that I'm grateful for all that was done to protect me and everyone else involved. And while I'm glad I didn't see my dog get shot with the bean bag round, I even understand why that happened. You're all "knights in shining armor" as far as I'm concerned :-) You asked me that night if I was going back (to my husband) and I told you I wasn't...and I'm still not going to go back - only forward from now on. Also, I did get a protective order the next day - I figured I owed it to all of you after what you'd done for me. If there's any way that you could forward this e-mail throughout the Sheriff Dept and to the SWAT team, I'd appreciate it very much. My thanks to all of you for everything you do for your community. Take care and have a good day. Sincerely, Lisa A Sheriff Slater 180