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PROVO — There's a new sheriff in Utah County, and he says he's the first to become sheriff from outside the agency since 1959.
"You know, it's something, it's a little surreal. It's exciting, it's a little intimidating. I'll be honest with you. There's a big job to be done," said newly instated Utah County Sheriff Michael Smith after his swearing-in ceremony Tuesday in the Provo Historic Courthouse.
Early in July, the former sheriff, Jim Tracy, announced he would resign during a county commission meeting, citing a lack of funding for the jail and a lack of communication from commissioners.
After Tracy's resignation in early August, the Utah County Republican Party had 30 days to submit a name to the county commissioner's office for approval.
The party selected Smith during a meeting on Aug. 18. He had won the Republican primary election for Utah County sheriff in June against Jim Phelps. With no candidates running from other parties, Smith was set to win the election unopposed in November and then be installed in January.
According to Smith's campaign website, he joined the Pleasant Grove Police Department in 1994 and moved through the ranks of the department, becoming police chief in 2012.
He says his background with "municipal policing" and working with citizens in community policing projects will benefit the sheriff's office.
"I want to work closer with the community," Smith said, adding that he hopes to "think outside the box, have more community involvement with the jail, with our inmates and rehabilitation, and those types of things. I'm really excited about that, to be able to work on those types of projects."
Smith said within the next month or so, the Utah County Sheriff's Office will start an "honorary colonel program," which will allow citizens to aid the sheriff's office. He described the program as similar to a booster club supporting an athletic team.
He said an honorary colonel program in Pleasant Grove has helped its police force address problems, including a need for new radios, by raising funds for the police department.
The Utah County honorary colonel program will focus on school safety, which Smith called a "big passion."
He also noted a need for growth within law enforcement as the county grows.
"I'm here to tell you that it's a noble profession," the new sheriff said, adding that he plans to focus on attracting strong candidates for law enforcement in the county.
