Utah State University is looking for a new police chief, and the two candidates are Jason Bligh and Curtis Hooley. Mr. Bligh made a public presentation on his April 25th and Mr. Hooley on his April 26th publicly presenting his own values and ideas for the role.
Jason Bray
Bligh has worked in law enforcement for 26 years, starting with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona and transferring to the University of Arizona Police Department (UAPD) in 2000, according to Reuters. USU Police Chief Candidate Website.
During his time with the UAPD, Bligh gained some leadership experience, serving as Deputy Chief of Field Operations, Corporal, Lieutenant, Commanding Officer, Deputy Chief, Interim Police Chief.
Bly has received many awards throughout his career, including the 2023 Certified Commander Award from the Arizona Police Chiefs Association.
Bligh said one of his favorite things about working with the UAPD was introducing Maggie, the department’s Crisis Response Dog Corps, to the agency.
“As 2020 dawned, there was a lot of emotion and a need to build bridges across the country with law enforcement and local policing and where we fit in. And our dog Maggie. Brought to you by a bridge that not only helped people deal with situations, experiences and traumatic experiences, but also had a human four feet above its lead, which was very helpful,” said Bligh. Told.
Bligh says students can be wary of police officers, but Maggie helps people see police officers as human beings and provides students with a safe common ground. It is said that it was possible.
Candidates were instrumental in helping USU police build bridges with students by building cordial friendships with students and having a more friendly atmosphere, including having open conversations. .
“We need to build relationships with communities and students so they feel safe calling us no matter what,” Bly said. “It’s the relationship, the affinity, the contact with each other.”
Lieutenant Curtis Hooley will share his thoughts on what a better Utah State campus would look like under his care on April 26, 2023. He has been with the Logan Police Department since 1990.
Curtis Hooley
Hooley, an Aggie alumnus, has worked for the Logan City Police Department (LCPD) for 30 years and said he was prepared to expand his influence at USU.
The candidate has been LCPD captain since 2011 and has made an impact on people’s lives as an interpersonal crime detective, sexual abuse response team chairman, police spokesperson, and cash/rich drug task force commander. It’s here.
One aspect of policing that Hooley is particularly passionate about is advocating for victims.
“It’s not always easy to help victims, and that’s where advocacy comes into play. It helped me continue my career,” Hooley said.
From working with CAPSA to helping rape victims, Hooley is no stranger to helping victims overcome adversity. In 2016, he received an award from the Utah Crime Victims Council for the implementation of the Lethality Assessment Program at the LCPD.
In 2023, the evaluation program was so successful that it will be implemented statewide by Senator Todd Weiler’s bill. SB117.
Hooley said one of her most impactful experiences was helping the family of a five-year-old girl who was raped and murdered. While Hooley found her girl’s body, she met with the girl’s family three times a day to see how they could best help her.
“Honestly, it was the most stressful event I’ve ever had as a police officer, and probably the most mentally challenging because of the situation itself,” Hooley said. “As you know, that shaped me in many ways as a commander-level person.”
bridge with students
Candidates also met with representatives of the USU Student Association (USUSA) to hear about student questions and concerns. Mr. Bligh met with the association on April 25th and Mr. Hooley met with the association on April 26th.
USUSA executive vice president Aly Cinq-Mars asked Hooley how he plans to defend victims at USUSA.
“We start by believing, because in my experience, very few people go that far in falsely reporting sexual assault. I’ve never seen anything like that in my career.” It never happened,” Hooley said. “With a reputation for helping victims of sexual assault and being their advocate, the department has a reputation for helping them get the help they need and doing a good job in investigating their cases. We are getting , so it will be a good start.”
Other questions included how strict the enforcement is, how candidates can cooperate with student events, and how police can build trust with students.
After the candidates’ presentations, Sink Maas said he was thrilled to welcome both candidates to the USU family.
“They just want to be part of their community and they want police officers to do the same,” Sink Maas said. “And I think working with students and making connections is the most important thing.”
-jenny.carpenter@usu.edu
