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Manila • In a county with more cattle than people, it can be difficult to find a qualified sheriff among the herd.
Add a state investigation that has caught the attention of the Utah attorney general and the FBI and Daggett County finds itself in a bind trying to fill the vacant post.
The county is replacing staff at the sheriff's office after Sheriff Jerry Jorgensen and its jail commander resigned amid an ongoing investigation into possible mistreatment of inmates at the county's jail.
Under state law, finding an interim sheriff to finish the remaining two years of Jorgensen's term falls to the county's Republican Party. Those GOP leaders met Tuesday evening to interview candidates.
"It could have went better," said Chad Reed, the county party chairman. "I'd like to have ended it."
Republicans appear unwilling to replace Jorgensen with one of the two candidates who work for the sheriff's office while the probe is underway.
Those applicants included Sgt. Travis Dupaix and Deputy Ken Rasmussen, Reed said. Rather than pick between the two, the party is considering widening the search.
Reed said there were as many as nine candidates who might be interested in the position, but they don't all meet the requirements for the position.
Utah sheriffs must meet requirements set by the Peace Officer Training and Certification Act. Reed said some of those interested in the job don't qualify now, but the law gives appointees two months to receive the required training.
Candidates also must have lived within Daggett County for at least six months, which has also limited the pool, Reed said. The county has about 1,100 residents, making it the least populated in the state.
Daggett is now working with the state to see if it can appoint a sheriff who doesn't meet all of the qualifications.
"We've only been looking at this for a day," said Mark Thomas, chief deputy in the lieutenant governor's office. "We're still in that legal process of reviewing it."
Department of Corrections Executive Director Rollin Cook, in a statement sent after Daggett County announced its former jail commander had resigned, said his agency was still "apprehensive about returning inmates to the jail under its current culture."
He said the command staff remained subjects of the investigation.
Reed said Wednesday Capt. Chris Collett, the chief deputy under Jorgensen, won't be considered for interim sheriff, adding, "He's a good man."
Collett was acting sheriff for a day after Jorgensen resigned. On Tuesday, after a two-hour closed session in which they spoke with Collett, county commissioners appointed themselves acting sheriff until an interim was named and approved. Commissioner Jack Lytle has the lead role in overseeing the sheriff's office.
Reed said he hoped the actions would lead the Department of Corrections to return state inmates to the jail.
"They should be bringing inmates back knowing that we have met the things that they've asked us to do as a county," Reed said. "I feel enough has been met that they need to bring those inmates back."
The Department of Corrections didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about a timeline for returning inmates.
Twitter: @TaylorWAnderson