Mayor's Message: Riverton Police Mark First Anniversary

By Mayor Trent Staggs

As Mayor it is my duty to lead and make decisions that directly support our way of life and Riverton City’s mission to, “provide essential services that enhance the quality of life and sense of community for all citizens.” It is my belief that the most important service a municipality can provide is the preservation of life and safety for every resident, which begins by having a dedicated and hardworking police department made up of only the finest individuals.

Just over a year ago our city made the decision to become self-sufficient and create our own police department. I am pleased to report that the Riverton Police Department has been a tremendous success, and we have seen first-hand the benefits of managing our own department. It is apparent that law and order is essential to a community and provides a level of stability that allows our residents to live and do business in trust. With the addition of nine officers for roughly the same price we were paying for 26, we now have 35 sworn officers that are visibly present in our community. These fine individuals have worked hard to build relationships, protect public safety and enforce the law.

Riverton Police Department

When we set out to create the Riverton Police Department we had three goals in mind. First, we desired a service-oriented and community based police force that would be focused on the needs and concerns of our citizens. Second, we made it a priority to hire experienced officers that had displayed a strong commitment to fair and objective policing. Third, we wanted to protect our citizens from financially irresponsible hikes in property taxes that would have occurred had we stayed with the county law enforcement service area. By creating our own department and taxing service area, we have collectively saved Riverton property taxpayers $1.2 million dollars a year.

The services provided by RPD have been phenomenal. The feedback over the course of the last year from our citizens has been overwhelmingly positive. This feedback is a direct testament to the quality of officers who serve in our community. We look forward to introducing new programs to the community, including the Citizen’s Police Academy this fall, and adapting to our community’s individual needs as they change.

As the Riverton Police Department begins its second year of service, we will continue with our commitment to offer the very best police services to our community. With the help of our outstanding officers, we will continue to enhance the quality of life for all residents and preserve the standing of our beautiful city as a great place to live, work and play.

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