The Wednesday, March 5, Wasatch County Council agenda originally included a discussion of public safety concerns. The item was added in response to multiple requests from former officers to investigate the sheriff’s office.
But the council abruptly pulled the discussion two hours before the meeting after learning Sheriff Jared Rigby asked the Cache County Sheriff’s Office to review the former officers’ concerns Monday, March 3.
The change to the agenda, however, didn’t stop community members from showing up, including some officers who recently quit the department and others who attended with resignation letters in hand.
Among those who made public comments were retired Wasatch County Sheriff Todd Bonner and retired sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Winterton, who met with councilmembers last month.
Winterton said he’s concerned about transparency. Rigby has said he’s conducting an investigation in response to allegations raised by a department lieutenant in February 2024. Its status is unclear.
“I don’t believe our concerns have been heard,” Winterton said. “I'm very concerned with the so-called ongoing investigation. I have no idea what that is, and the fact that it was not the council that called for that investigation.”
Bonner agreed.
“I don't think that you guys have cared,” Bonner said. “I don't understand how a sheriff can call another sheriff in the state of Utah and request them to investigate when they don't even know what the allegations are yet.”
In an interview with KPCW after the meeting, Wasatch County Manager Dustin Grabau said the county will start an external investigation to address civil concerns. He said the council also plans to hire a retired judge with no ties to the county to handle it.
“We really feel a responsibility to take seriously any of these claims and accusations, and the concern is that not following proper procedure and protocol actually jeopardizes the impartiality and the participation of everyone involved,” Grabau said.
He said citizens are invited to share their concerns in writing.
Concerns about misconduct and retaliation inside Rigby’s office first came to light in a letter sent to the council in January from an attorney for Lt. Shane Fredrickson.
In a copy of the letter obtained by KPCW, Fredrickson said he filed a formal grievance about Undersheriff Josh Probst’s conduct and actions during multiple high-profile cases. He also claimed his concerns were “swept under the rug” by Rigby and that he has been subject to retaliation for filing the complaint.
Fredrickson was placed on administrative leave Jan. 21. At the time, the sheriff’s office told KPCW it was Fredrickson who had behaved improperly and the office had no choice but to take disciplinary action.
Bonner and Winterton said they took their concerns to the council after Fredrickson was placed on leave as part of what the sheriff’s office called “continuing progressive discipline for alleged misconduct.”
In Rigby’s statement about referring the investigation to Cache County, he said the decision was driven by a lack of specific concerns from former members of the department. Rigby said he attempted to speak with them on Feb. 12. Grabau and three members of the county council also spoke with them on Feb. 21.
Grabau said some of the accusations have been vague.
“It's been difficult to pin down the nature of the accusations,” Grabau said. “I think that there is the potential for some of the accusations to be criminal in nature.”
In a statement Thursday Rigby said he “welcomes and invites citizens’ ideas and concerns” and the sheriff’s office strives “to be open and transparent in all of [its] interactions, investigations and law enforcement actions.”
He said the office is “committed to finding and correcting misconduct, if such exists, and will continue to be professional and fair in fulfilling [its] duties.”
