Washington County sheriff pitches small substation in Virgin; residents raise traffic and neighborhood concerns

Sheriff Nate Brooksby, Washington County sheriff, told Virgin residents and council members on Jan. 21 that the sheriff's office is seeking space in the town's new town hall (the former LDS church) to use as a small substation for deputies assigned to contract patrol time in Virgin.

Brooksby said the substation would give deputies a nearby place to download body-camera and in-car video, complete reports and meet with residents, and it would provide a visible patrol presence in the community. "If we can get into this space and we have data capabilities, the deputy doesn't have to drive all the way back into our office," Brooksby said. "They can download their body camera and in car video. They can take a break, they can do reports."

The proposal was presented during a question-and-answer session before the council's regular meeting. Town staff and residents pressed Brooksby for operational details, and several residents said they supported a law-enforcement presence but were worried about increased traffic, lights and activity in a residential area.

Why it matters: The town is negotiating how to provide contract patrol time while remaining an incorporated municipality. Brooksby said the current contract with Virgin is about $15,000 a year and yields roughly "8 to 10 hours of focus patrol time in Virgin." He said the sheriff's office recorded about 400 calls for service in 2024, and that roughly 350 of those calls were opened when a deputy was logged as on contract patrol time in…