Daggett County commissioners weigh park signage and juvenile curfew after recent incidents

Daggett County commissioners on Tuesday discussed stronger park rules and a possible juvenile curfew after the sheriff's office reported recent late‑night incidents and vandalism.

A sheriff's department representative told the commission that signage and enforceable park rules could deter criminal activity and keep users safe. "So the sheriff wanted me to remind everybody that sometimes we're our own worst enemies when we don't follow through with something that might be a good plan because other things get involved," the sergeant said, urging coordinated action on park curfews and event permissions.

Commissioners asked whether a county ordinance already exists to support enforcement. Commissioner Kent reported he would draft proposed ordinance language but then located a preexisting park curfew in the county code. "Actually, we have a park curfew. I just found it. It's unlawful for any person in the county park between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 05:30AM unless prior written approval is properly obtained from the authorized agent managing parks and facilities," Kent said, and he committed to provide proposed language to the commission the following week so the community can review and comment.

The discussion also covered aligning county rules with the town's ordinances for consistency, and the sheriff's office suggested that organized events involving juveniles require adult supervision and written permission. Commissioners requested that proposed language be circulated before formal action to ensure community input. Kent said he would work with sheriff's staff and return recommended language to the commission for possible placement on a future agenda.

Next steps: Kent will prepare draft ordinance language and offer it for commission review with an opportunity for public input before any formal vote.