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The three patrol-officer posts on Ephraim's five-member police force will soon be vacant after the city's decision to reinstate its police chief despite an investigation that determined he failed to follow protocol.
Three officers — Larry Golding, Jared Hansen and Darren Pead — submitted a strongly worded letter of resignation Monday to members of the Ephraim City Council and the mayor, saying they "have lost all confidence in" Chief Ron Rasmussen and "cannot and will not serve as public servants under" his leadership.
The letter says their resignation will take effect the "moment" Rasmussen is reinstated, which is scheduled to happen at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Rasmussen, who has been the chief for 27 years, was placed on paid administrative leave June 9 after unspecified "allegations" had been raised against him, said City Manager Brant Hanson.
The Utah County Sheriff's Office investigated the city's top cop, finding that Rasmussen had been negligent of "some" administrative duties, according to Hanson. Sgt. Len Gasser was named acting chief while Rasmussen was on leave; there is no indication that he will resign.
Rasmussen reportedly failed to fill out incident reports in 237 cases over a 10-year period, Hanson said, and while some of those cases were minor incidents — such as a person reporting a missing pet or someone accidentally locking his keys in the car — others were of a more "serious nature."
In the resignation letter, Golding, Hansen and Pead wrote that the reports in question involved crimes of "every imaginable type and magnitude, to include serious felonies" which could lead to "years, if not decades, in prison" for offenders.
The reports in question are missing documentation of police actions, which Rasmussen should have filed, Hanson said.
Rasmussen also allegedly fielded calls on his work cellphone that should have been directed to dispatch, Hanson said. The chief would then call officers directly and send them into situations less prepared than they would have been if trained dispatchers had handled the calls, according to Hanson.
Rasmussen has told Hanson he understands that if he receives calls like that in the future, he should tell callers to contact dispatch and follow up with them later, the city manager said.
Utah County investigators are expected to give a final report to the City Council Wednesday night in a closed session, Hanson said.
Rasmussen declined to comment Tuesday night, noting that he is not permitted to talk about the issue publicly while on administrative leave.
Last Wednesday, city officials determined that Rasmussen should be required to complete a "corrective action plan" while continuing his leave for one more week. The plan should contain specific ways he will correct past mistakes, as well as what should happen in the future to improve the "overall efficiency" of the department, Hanson said.
Once reinstated, Rasmussen will take on more of a "traditional" administrative role as chief, Hanson said, rather than a patrol-oriented one.
Rasmussen "became chief at [age] 24," Hanson said. "When you become chief that young, you lack that strong mentorship" and training that many police chiefs receive before taking on the position.
Rasmussen is "open to understanding" how to improve the department, Hanson said, and will be networking with other police chiefs throughout the state to learn from them.
But the resigning patrol officers accuse the chief of "gross negligence going back decades." In their letter, they criticize Rasmussen for his "willful failure" to fulfill his responsibilities, adding that if any of them had done what he's done, it would have "resulted in our swift dismissal."
Golding, Hansen and Pead wrote that they were "morally, professionally and legally obligated to report" Rasmussen's behavior, and that they "have lost all confidence in our chief and in the city officials that are responsible now for a cover-up of epic proportions."
They encouraged community members to demand a chief who "will not shirk important responsibilities" or "make ridiculous excuses when so much is at stake."
"We are all overworked," the officers wrote, "but the dire importance of our work is precisely what demands and requires important sacrifices."
The officers wrote that they will "reluctantly resign" as a matter of integrity if Rasmussen is reinstated.
The officers contacted council members and the mayor individually Monday, expressed their feelings and presented the letter, Hanson said.
"We're disappointed to see them resign, but we accept their resignations," Hanson said, adding that the city's "objective has always been to keep everybody in place" and "work on the culture together."
The city is sad to be losing the decades of police experience the officers have, Hanson said. Goulding, Hansen and Pead have been with the department for 20 years, 14 years and a year and a half, respectively.
But "it is easier to implement changes when you're starting from scratch," Hanson noted.
The city will hire replacements for Golding, Hansen and Pead, according to the city manager, and — due to a decision made by the city before the chief's investigation — plans hire two additional officers in the next few years.
While the department is down three officers, Hanson said, the city will work with the Sanpete County Sheriff's Office to cover vacant patrol duties. The city will increase wages for part-time officers to "encourage people to fill those slots," Hanson said.
"It's unfortunate we're in the situation we're in at this point," Hanson said. "It could have been handled differently, more collaboratively. But we've got to do what's best for the residents of Ephraim."
Ephraim has a population of nearly 7,000, including Snow College's student body of about 5,000.
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