Park City Police Department Community Outreach Officer Jason Rose said police and sheriff’s office traffic units encounter a lot of unlicensed drivers in the course of doing their work. The courses, he said, were started in response and help address a community need.
Once offered regularly, Rose said the classes were put on hold in 2024, but started again in May. The virtual course meets weekly on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m.
And because they are online, Rose said, participants who may feel uncomfortable sharing their names can choose to remain anonymous.
“The Spanish-speaking community is a little nervous being around the police, even though we are here to help,” he said. “You know, we’re not here to take people to custody for being here illegally. It’s not our job.”
Rose said the classes are like a study group, focusing on sections of the Utah Driver Handbook. He said they take as many weeks necessary to adequately cover each section.
The classes are a collaboration between the Park City Police Department, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and the Summit County Library.
Interested learners can register on the Summit County Library website and the library sends out the link to the class.
Rose’s job is to monitor the chat for questions and distribute slides used in the course to participants.
Latino Outreach Technical Specialist Hugo Meza teaches the class with Summit County Sheriff Detective Benjamin Carreno.
Originally from Peru, Meza said he feels a duty to connect with the community.
“It’s hard for them sometimes to understand that the laws here are here to help them, not to make them feel uncomfortable, or make them feel like outsiders,” he said. “Knowing the laws, I think it helps them to understand that they have rights, and that they can be protected.”
Rose and Meza said the classes will likely run through the end of July.
