DATE LINE:
May 5, 2012
Time 1420
Iron County Utah.

On May 5, 2012 Deputies with the Iron County Sheriff’s Office were notified of a vehicle pursuit approaching them from Washington County on Interstate 15. The Cedar City dispatch center asked if Deputies could assist in this pursuit at which time Deputies advised the dispatch center they would offer support to pursuing police officers at milepost 42 Interstate 15 (northbound).

Deputies were notified that the suspect vehicle had been “spiked” at mile marker 40 and that the suspect vehicle was still operable and still traveling in their direction. Deputies placed their vehicles in a position of support to the pursuing Trooper as the Trooper performed a vehicle intervention technique causing the vehicle to spin 180° the vehicle then swerve toward the troopers vehicle crashing into the back of it. Deputies with the Iron County Sheriff’s Office were able to trap the vehicle in that position until Deputies and troopers affected the arrest on the driver of the vehicle Ms. Joy Peck. Ms. Peck was then arrested on multiple felony offenses.

Iron County resident Deneen McCarthy helped organize the meeting and said its purpose was to provide residents with a group to hear grievances against Iron County’s elected officials and law enforcement personnel and provide recommendations for the grievances to be dealt with officially.

Also present at the meeting were Sheriff Mark Gower and Sgt. Jody Edwards from the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, who both spoke in support of the idea of having a citizen review board.

“I think this is a great idea,” Edwards said. “If this board is set up and works properly, then it will be supported.”

Before the meeting, Gower said official, internal review boards are already set up for people who may have issues with the Sheriff’s Office that don’t fall into the realm of criminal charges.

“Anything criminal brought against us is a conflict case, meaning we send it to an impartial attorney’s office in another county to investigate,” Gower said.

Resident Ryan Diekmann said he has no issue with law enforcement and hoped the review board didn’t turn into a “witch hunt.”

“I think we have some of the best law enforcement around,” Diekmann said. “I don’t want to turn this into a game of gossip that we should have stopped playing in high school.”

Diekmann said his main concern wasn’t specific complaints, but the general sense of apathy he feels from elected officials, specifically the Cedar City Council.

“If someone comes in and has the courage to actually speak, the council looks at them and smiles and nods and then thanks them for coming,” Diekmann said. “They don’t do anything about it.”

Resident Daniel Weber said he was concerned with the Iron County Attorney’s Office, saying people who have issues with the office are unable to deal with the issues by working within the system.

IRON COUNTY — As the weather gets warmer, more people are starting to think about the planting season. That goes for marijuana growers as well.

Iron County Sheriff Mark Gower knows the growers are out there, hiding in the mountains, and he’s worried hikers will mistakenly walk into the illegal operations.

Gower and Sheriff’s Sgt. Jody Edwards hiked into an area Wednesday that was taken down last year, because they were concerned marijuana growers might have moved back into the remote area.

Edwards and Gower were quiet, not wanting to be seen in case there were some growers in the area. “(We’re) making sure we’re not walking back into something they’ve tried to bring back,” the sheriff said.

An area before marijuana growers start cultivating looks similar to what it looks like after the grow is done. “They will spend days and days just climbing up trees, preparing, getting the site prepped,” Gower explained.

On the way to the site, they spot fresh footprints and an open fence gate leading to the area. Going to a previous site would be easier for growers than clearing a new one.

With guns drawn, they looked for additional signs of activity, anything that would show them growers are back. After a few minutes, though, they determine no one was there. Those prints were likely from a hiker, a landowner, or possibly growers scouting locations.

Either way, Gower is worried innocent hikers might walk into a marijuana grow area and growers will do anything to protect them.

“Each grow is a multimillion dollar crop,” he said.

There are several signs to watch out for at a marijuana farm, including piles of branches that circle the perimeter, hiding what’s happening on the inside; trees with branches missing, tree stumps and irrigation pipes and hoses leading to a water source.

“It’s getting to be a problem, a trend we’re concerned about,” Gower said.

About five years ago, Iron County found roughly 7,000 plants in a handful of spots. Last year, 22,000 plants were found in grows throughout the mountains.

“This is our pristine back woods,” Edwards said. “This is where we come to get away from it, and now we have to come into it.”

Gower isn’t trying to keep people from going into the backcountry and enjoying the outdoors, but he wants people to know this is a problem and figures it’s better people know about it than not know.

Chances are, people aren’t going to walk into one, Gower said, but if they do, they should leave immediately, return the way they came and call police.

Those who have a GPS device should take down the coordinates. Otherwise, they should make note of substantial landmarks so they can help law enforcement find it later.

“What I’ve termed it, it’s a public safety nightmare,” Gower said.

In most cases, the growers are wearing camouflage. And in every case Iron County has investigated, the growers were illegally here from Mexico, the sheriff said.

Alex Cabrero, Reporter

Alex Cabrero has been reporting for KSL TV-5 since 2004. During his time in Salt Lake City, he has covered several high-profile stories, including the St. George floods, the Crandall Canyon mine collapse, and the Trolley Square shootings. Full Bio »

Original article from KSL.
Article Link: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=18850551 Share ]]> http://www.ironcounty.net/departments/sheriff/index.php/in-the-news/sheriff-working-to-get-upper-hand-on-mountain-marijuana-growers/feed/ 0 http://www.ironcounty.net/departments/sheriff/index.php/iron-county-bulletin/spring-bulletin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spring-bulletin http://www.ironcounty.net/departments/sheriff/index.php/iron-county-bulletin/spring-bulletin/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:03:49 +0000 mgower http://www.ironcounty.net/departments/sheriff/?p=1281 Spring has finally arrived in Iron County which means people will be heading out to the hills and back country to enjoy the nice weather. Unfortunately Iron County and Washington County are in the center of the bull’s-eye so to speak in regards to cartel based marijuana gardens/grows. Every year for the last several, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office along with the help of several other law enforcement agencies have eradicated thousands of marijuana plants out of these clandestine grows. These grows are located in the hills and back country, off the beaten path, usually near a water source.
These grows present a definite threat to public safety and the environment. The people in charge of these grows are illegal aliens from Mexico and they are directly involved with deadly drug cartels based in Mexico. This is organized crime all the way and they only thing they are concerned with is the money to be made off of each grow. They do not respect human life or the environment.
The Iron County Sheriff’s Office asks that you be careful and always aware of your surroundings while hiking, shed hunting, bike riding or whatever it is that takes you off the beaten path. I encourage you to click on the tab “News Room” which is located at the top of our web page and then click on the link “Marijuana Cultivation in Utah” this short video will show you what to look for and tell you what to do if you encounter a grow while out in the back country.

Respectfully,
Sheriff Mark O. Gower

Attachment: Video Marijuana Cultivation in Utah

Together we can protect our public lands…
We view marijuana grows as a real threat. The Utah DNR & local Sheriff’s Departments are teaming up to make sure the problem is eradicated.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING…SAY SOMETHING!

On February 20, 2012 the Iron County Sheriff’s Office received a report of cattle that had been shot near the town of Modena Utah. Deputies responded and located the cattle owner, and two cows that had been shot with possibly a small caliber weapon. Deputies were able to clearly identify bullet holes and a metal detector was used to confirm the fact that slugs were inside the animals.

The timeline for this incident would be the week surrounding February 20, 2012. The Iron County Sheriff’s Office is officially requesting information regarding this incident for the purpose of arrest and successful prosecution of the person or persons involved in this senseless shooting. The Iron County Sheriff’s Office is prepared to offer a $1000 reward for this information. If you have information regarding this incident please contact the Iron County Sheriff’s Office any time day or night at 435-867-7500 or the Iron County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 435-867-5878.

CEDAR CITY – A number of Southern Utah law enforcement agencies worked together Saturday after the Iron County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 11 a.m. reporting that burglary suspect Troy James Knapp may have been sighted in Cedar City.

Knapp is suspected of burglarizing dozens of cabins in Iron, Kane and Garfield counties.

“Someone in Cedar City saw a person with a gun slung over his shoulder that matched his description,” said Iron County Sheriff Mark Gower.

As a result of the tip, he said law enforcement officers from the sheriff’s office, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Highway Patrol, Southern Utah University Police, and the Cedar City, St. George and Enoch police departments searched the area near the intersection of 820 South and 300 East. Gower said there was a command post set up in that area, and helicopters were also being used to search for Knapp from the air.

Gower estimated that 30 officers from the different law enforcement agencies assisted in the search Saturday.

As of 8 p.m. Saturday, Gower said the suspect had not been found, but there was a helicopter still searching the area, and officers in the helicopter were using technology designed to detect heat and light sources.

By Cathy Wentz – Email: cwentz@thespectrum.com

Original article from The Spectrum.
Article Link: http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20120226/NEWS01/202260308