Trapped Utah Miners and the Police

The six miners trapped deep underground in the Crandall Canyon mine are much in the news, and I can understand why this is so.

What I cannot understand, is why the rescue effort requires the services of the Emery County Sherrif’s Office and the Utah Highway Patrol.

Take a look at photos #10, #12, and #13 at this link.

Note the sherrif’s trailer in photo #10, and in photos #12 and #13 the highway patrolman and sherrif’s office Sgt. standing around supposedly “guarding” the entrance to the mine.  Why, exactly, are Utah individuals’ tax dollars being spent here?  There has been no crime committed, nor, I would assume, are either the sherrif’s office or Utah Highway Patrol qualified to actually provide any meaningful rescue assistance.

I can guarantee, though, that both the Emery County Sherrif’s Office and the Utah Highway Patrol will be submitting large bills for services rendered in the rescue effort, though they will have done nothing.

Posted by on 08/09 at 09:48 AM

  1. When a situation that is in the national I develops, particularly in an area of the country which is not used to crowds, crowd control, and site security, become major issues.

    Posted by Bithead  on  08/09  at  10:46 AM

  2. Eric,

    When a situation that is in the national I develops, particularly in an area of the country which is not used to crowds, crowd control, and site security, become major issues.

    I understand your point, but, look at the photos, do you note any crowds?  Additionally, the mine is in a canyon, and, based on my canyon travels, limited though they may be, most have one (1) road in and out.  Could not one squad car, at the entrance to the canyon thus prevent ingress of “crowds?” Also, the mine is a private enterprise, and site security should be the mine owners’ business not the state’s.

    Posted by John Venlet  on  08/09  at  11:38 AM

  3. No, but then again, it’s early yet.
    As for the rest, I suspect that least partly what’s going on there, is that the mine owner doesn’t own the land for say, but owns the mineral rights on the state land. 

    I have a friend, who works in salt lake, who tells me that the biggest crowds down there right now are the news people.  Given what I think if most news people, I can certainly understand wanting a police presence there.  (chuckle)

    Posted by Bithead  on  08/09  at  12:35 PM

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