Guest Opinion

Police Chief Skelton has served Sandy well

By Scott Lazenby

, Nov 17, 2009

Harold Skelton began his career as a police officer in Sandy in 1976, 33 years ago. In that year, America celebrated its bicentennial, bell-bottoms and leisure suits were in fashion, Jimmy Carter was elected president, and the top pop artists included the Four Seasons, Donny and Marie Osmond, and The Captain and Tennille.

Sandy’s population was only around 2,200 (about a quarter of its current population), and Sandy Grade School – the last elementary school to be built within the Sandy city limits – was only 45 years old.

Harold was hired by Chief Fred Punzel, who later promoted him to sergeant and supervisor of the night shift. Then, as now, Sandy was spared some of the big-city crime issues, but Fred and Harold have their share of hair-raising stories.

Chief Dale Scobert promoted Harold to lieutenant, and I appointed him as chief when Dale retired six years ago.

A graduate of the FBI National Academy, Harold has served the city with professionalism and integrity. As chief, he continued Sandy’s tradition of frugality, stretching the budget through grants and surplus equipment from other departments.

He kept his officers current on state-of-the-art police practices, including modern issues such as identity theft and elder abuse.

He has updated the city’s emergency response plans, and initiated the process of departmental accreditation, rare for smaller departments like ours. Under his direction, the Sandy Police Department has an outstanding record of solving crimes, including property crimes and vandalism that might fall through the cracks in larger departments.

The officers are respected for their competence and integrity by the district attorney’s office and county and city judges. The department has faced a string of challenges, and I know that a few times over the last six years, Harold has asked himself, “Why me?”

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