4 Years of Results - Hard Work Pays Off!

Effective, Cost-Saving Programs

Sheriff Winder has implemented several new and effective programs, at no additional taxpayer expense “Pay for Stay” – for inmates who are capable of bearing some of the cost of their incarceration Jail Inmate Vocational Education – inmates learn valuable job skills so they stop resorting to crime once released from jail Gang Resistance Education and Training – an effective junior high program implemented by police officers to help keep kids out of gangs Utah Women in Law Enforcement – Jim’s visionary idea has become a county-wide effort to recruit, mentor, and retain women in law enforcement Expanded Search & Rescue Unit – more officers trained to help in serious back country rescue operations Elder Abuse Prevention Initiative – The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office is now the first law enforcement agency in Utah to implement a comprehensive program to stop elder abuse, including training officers to spot abuse and implementing a system to track the problem

Two Jails For The Price Of One

While cutting the budget, Sheriff Winder also reopened the mothballed Oxbow Jail.  We now have two jails operating for less than the cost of one.  Before Oxbow Jail was reopened, as many as 900 criminals per month had to be released early because the main jail was overcrowded. With Oxbow’s 600 beds, Jim has dramatically reduced early releases and created an effective “programs-based” approach that keeps inmates from re-offending – all with no new expense to taxpayers. 

More Responsive Police Service

Police service in the Salt Lake Valley is run by dozens of different police departments, all with their own boundaries and politics. But under Jim’s leadership, better coordination and communication is occurring, creating more effective and responsive law enforcement. Sheriff Winder and several participating mayors created the Unified Police Department, which serves unincorporated Salt Lake County and the “partner cities.”  All participating local leaders have an active say in how the department is run, the service model costs less than the old way of doing business, and the police are more responsive to local needs.

A Working Cop

Jim prides himself on being a “working cop,” who spends significant periods of time on the road, in the jail, and working graveyard shifts.  He administers nearly 1500 employees, while staying in touch with front-line duties like booking prisoners and making traffic stops.