Colorado City police chief decertified in ruling on bigamy case
 
By Rachel Olsen
The Spectrum
 
ST. GEORGE - The Utah division of Peace Officer Standards and Training officially voted Tuesday to revoke the state certification of Colorado City Police Chief Sam Roundy, who's department also has jurisdiction over the bordering town of Hildale.

No one on the board opposed the motion to uphold the decision to decertify both Roundy and another officer.

An internal investigation judge found Roundy to be violating the bigamy laws, as well as improperly handling a child sex abuse case. In that case, Utah POST Director Rich Townsend said Roundy apparently did not properly report the incident to the Division of Child and Family Services.

The last time Utah POST decertified a police chief was three years ago when the Gunnison police chief was found to be using or disseminating police information improperly, Townsend said.

The Colorado City Police Department, where officers are certified in both Utah and Arizona, patrols the two towns dominated by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The FLDS church, led by Warren Jeffs, constitutes the largest polygamist group in North America.

Roundy could not be reached Tuesday for comment about POST's decision. However, in an interview last week with the Deseret Morning News, Roundy said polygamists in the town were being unfairly targeted because of religion.

"Every cop has a religion, but religion doesn't run my job," he said.

There are still five Colorado City officers who retain their Utah certification as a peace officers.

It will now be up to the mayor and City Council to appoint a temporary police chief.

Townsend said Roundy and the other officer could still appeal the decision, but the two in question did not show up at an earlier hearing on the matter or Tuesday when POST made their decision.

Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith said his deputies would continue in their normal patrol of Hildale. Soon, Smith said, an officer will be full-time on that side of the county, dealing only with the areas around Apple Valley and Hildale.

Arizona POST will be bringing a similar investigation forward with charges against the officers April 20. At that time, Arizona POST Compliance Manager Bob Forry said the board will decide whether or not to initiate a review into their Arizona certification.

Last week, Roundy said the executive director of Arizona's POST visited and told him Arizona would probably decertify the officers if Utah did.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said the charges would remain internal and no criminal charges would be filed.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published March 23, 2005
 
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