October 17, 2023 |
PHOTO – CCSO Truck – Bigfoot99 file photo
The town of Hanna has been relying on the sheriff’s office for in-town law enforcement. Sheriff Bakken provided his first report to the Hanna town council.
After the previous town marshal left to join the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, Hanna was left without a dedicated police officer. The Hanna town council has yet to hire a new marshal. In the meantime, Hanna officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the sheriff’s office. The MOU requires a sheriff’s deputy to patrol the town for 60 hours a month in exchange for an annual $60,000 payment from the town. The fee roughly equates to the salary of a full-time marshal.
The MOU between Hanna and the sheriff’s office was signed in August. September was the first month of sheriff coverage in the town.
During the October 10th Hanna town council meeting, Sheriff Alex Bakken said deputies provided roughly 30% more time patrolling the town than required by the MOU.
Sheriff Bakken told the Hanna town council that his department responded to 13 calls for service during the month of September. At the October 3rd Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Bakken elaborated on the other reasons deputies were in Hanna.
Sheriff Bakken said he will continue to provide monthly updates to the commissioners and the Hanna town council. The sheriff said he wants to ensure that Hanna officials are kept informed about how deputies are spending their time in the town.
