Scott Stephenson, the brand new head of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, works remotely at a Starbucks in Sandy on Thursday, Aug. 11. Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
Scott Stephenson, the brand new head of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, stands exterior of Nelson Jones, a regulation agency in Sandy, on Thursday, Aug. 11. Stephenson now works with the regulation agency in his new function representing law enforcement officials. Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
KSL.com reporter Pat Reavy, left, interviews, Scott Stephenson, the brand new head of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, at Nelson Jones, a regulation agency in Sandy, on Thursday, Aug. 11. Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
The person who headed up the group that disciplines law enforcement officials in Utah is now heading up the group that defends them.
For almost 15 years, Scott Stephenson served because the director for Utah's Peace Officer Requirements and Coaching. Just lately, Stephenson retired from regulation enforcement and accepted a brand new job as govt director of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police.
Whereas he concedes that within the public's eye, the transfer could look like just like a prosecutor "switching sides" over to the protection, Stephenson believes each positions have the identical purpose.
"As POST director, my job was to ensure that I maintained the integrity of the career. FOP's mission is similar factor. We need to preserve the integrity of the career," he mentioned. "I used to be attempting to get the identical purpose and mission they have been, which was to maintain dangerous officers out and good officers in and supply them a option to get advocacy."
All sworn officers in Utah should be licensed by Peace Officer Requirements and Coaching. Its council — which consists of greater than a dozen members starting from police chiefs, sheriffs and residents from throughout the state — meets quarterly to, partially, evaluation allegations of misconduct by officers and self-discipline these officers. Penalties can vary from a letter of condemnation to revoking an officer's certification. The director makes a suggestion on what sort of a self-discipline an officer ought to face, and the council then votes to both settle for or modify that really useful motion.
The Utah Fraternal Order of Police is a nonprofit group that represents about 4,900 officers, or roughly half of the regulation enforcers within the state. The group offers authorized companies to its members, defending them when they're accused of wrongdoing or are concerned in a essential incident comparable to an officer-involved capturing, usually doing so with unabashed vigor.
"We frequently stand alone on behalf of points which are essential to the career as a result of the place is the proper factor to do. Whereas we'll attempt to work with different organizations on vital laws, we don't again down with regards to defending our officers," the order's web site states. "We put each effort into defending cops and making our jobs safer."
Stephenson takes over the place held by Ian Adams who lately earned a Ph.D. in political science and accepted a job as an assistant professor within the Division of Criminology and Felony Justice on the College of South Carolina.
Scott Stephenson, the brand new head of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, stands exterior of Nelson Jones, a regulation agency in Sandy, on Thursday, Aug. 11. Stephenson now works with the regulation agency in his new function representing law enforcement officials.
Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
Together with his new place, Stephenson says he has appreciated attending to see extra from the prescriptive of line officers. One of many foremost focuses of his new job will probably be to ensure that officers obtain their correct due course of in courtroom. As Stephenson notes, law enforcement officials are held to a better normal within the public eye and and are anticipated to have a better stage of professionalism. That additionally means they will face further scrutiny when they're concerned in essential incidents comparable to police shootings.
"Simply because an officer places on a badge and a gun doesn't suggest they're robotically sacrificing their due course of rights," Stephenson mentioned. No matter what an officer is accused of doing, he says that particular person deserves to have their due course of rights protected, and the job of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police attorneys is to defend them.
When requested if which means the order will blindly defend an officer it doesn't matter what they're accused of doing, Stephenson responded, "We're an advocacy group for regulation enforcement, indisputably. However we aren't unreasonable."
Nevertheless, he admits that even when he was the Peace Officer Requirements and Coaching director, there have been some instances that got here throughout his desk that he could not perceive why the officer was being charged.
"It is onerous to just accept the truth that an officer who does their job, and does it good, is now going through doable felony prices. Whilst a POST director that was onerous for me to abdomen. Over time I reviewed a whole lot of use-of-force instances and I feel in my nearly 15 years as POST director. I most likely solely took motion on use of pressure thrice as a result of it was egregious and the officer deserved it. However different occasions I used to be like, 'Why are they being criminally charged?'"
The Fraternal Order of Police and Salt Lake County District Lawyer Sim Gill have a protracted historical past of not seeing eye to eye, particularly with regards to the investigation of police shootings. Whereas Stephenson will give Gill credit score for being elected on a platform that he has stayed true to, he doesn't agree with that platform and might't say whether or not the connection between the group and the district lawyer's workplace will probably be higher now that he's heading the group.
"I do not know if that relationship will ever be pleasant, particularly if we really feel like he is charging somebody who should not be charged. Clearly we will struggle that, and rightfully so. And I consider he would invite that, these checks and balances," Stephenson mentioned.
However whereas Stephenson believes Gill is in favor of checks and balances, he doesn't consider the courtroom is at all times the proper place for that.
When an officer is criminally charged, Stephenson hopes Gill and different prosecutors are submitting these prices "primarily based on the deserves of that case and never public stress" or for political achieve. Prosecutors have to "push out all of the noise from the surface" when deciding whether or not to cost an officer, he mentioned, and never file prices due to public stress, already understanding the case will not go wherever.
"Should you cost an officer and you realize the probability of conviction isn't there, and in different instances you'd usually dismiss, then why transfer ahead with that case?" Stephenson requested.
One other focus for Stephenson and the Utah Fraternal Order of Police will probably be to advertise officer wellness. Whereas Stephenson was director for Peace Officer Requirements and Coaching, the most typical violations that got here throughout his desk have been officers concerned in sexual misconduct, home violence, and prescription drug and alcohol issues. He hopes serving to officers discover the sources they should assist with the stresses of their lives will scale back a few of these issues.
Moreover, Stephenson sees an "schooling piece" as being a part of his job, serving to the general public, state lawmakers and even police chiefs and sheriffs perceive why the group takes sure actions. Whereas he could not be capable of easy over relations with the district lawyer's workplace, Stephenson hopes he can easy over relations between police directors — who've sometimes been at odds with the order — and line officers, in addition to push for insurance policies that profit all regulation enforcers.
KSL.com reporter Pat Reavy, left, interviews, Scott Stephenson, the brand new head of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, at Nelson Jones, a regulation agency in Sandy, on Thursday, Aug. 11.
Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
"I'll do what I can to assist FOP and regulation enforcement — the directors — sort of bridge that hole of communication. I actually suppose that a whole lot of occasions folks get upset, they begin lashing out at organizations once they do not fully perceive what the group's objectives are," he mentioned, whereas including that he hopes the relationships he made with police directors and lawmakers as Peace Officer Requirements and Coaching director will open the door for higher relationships with the Fraternal Order of Police.
"I might help clarify why did anyone make this argument on behalf of this officer? I can reply these questions, and hopefully have folks perceive what's going on," he mentioned. "A number of occasions it isn't the argument you make, however the way in which you current it, the fashion you make your argument."
Stephenson mentioned he is bringing the identical perspective he had together with his former job about decision-making to the brand new job and hopes it is going to end in cheap minds prevailing on all sides.
"I look again on the choices I made as POST director, I haven't got regrets. I made these choices, I am not one to be capricious, I am very calculated and I collect all of the information. And I am going to convey that to this resolution as properly. And for the very motive I do not like emotional choices made by DAs and attorneys and prosecutors, I do not prefer to act that manner both," he mentioned.