August 10, 2023 |
Photo – Carbon County Sheriff’s Office logo – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, in a move to avoid any appearance of bias, has changed the way promotions are handled.
Sheriff Alex Bakken said one of the unique challenges of small-town law enforcement is avoiding the perception of individual bias, or as Sheriff Bakken calls it, “the good ol’ boys’ system.” Starting this past Monday, Sheriff Bakken said other police agencies will sit in on promotional interviews for deputies. The sheriff said the officers provide an outside perspective on the applicant.
Sheriff Bakken said the third-party interview committee doesn’t decide who receives a promotion in the Sheriff’s Office. Bakken said the panel assesses candidates and makes recommendations on whether the deputy should be promoted or not. The final decision still rests with the sheriff.
Sheriff Bakken said the entire process takes roughly an hour per candidate.
The sheriff said other law enforcement agencies across the country use a similar third-party interview panel for promotional considerations. Sheriff Bakken said the process, which began this Monday, was met with approval from all participants.
Sheriff Bakken said three deputies went through the new promotion process. The sheriff said the third-party panel will only be used to consider promotions within the department. Bakken said the hiring process will remain unchanged.
