Box Elder County Sheriff Kevin Potter has issued a message to citizens regarding the decision by the Brigham City, Perry, and Tremonton-Garland police departments to depart from the unified Box Elder Communications Center.
Sheriff Potter stated that dividing communication centers and using separate radio channels prevents a unified force and puts both citizens and officers at risk.
According to Sheriff Potter, moving to different communications centers creates several critical vulnerabilities:
Delayed Response Times: The Sheriff noted that operating on separate systems requires a middleman relay for 911 calls and mutual aid requests, which can cause dangerous delays in emergencies.
Loss of Interoperability: Moving to different radio channels prevents officers from speaking directly to one another during critical incidents such as shootings or high-speed pursuits.
Resource Silos: The Sheriff explained that a unified center allows dispatchers to monitor all available units, whereas separate agencies may lose awareness of nearby backup resources.
To illustrate the risks of fragmented communication, Potter cited historical examples including the 9/11 attacks, the Columbine High School shooting, and the Uvalde school shooting.
Addressing recent tragedies, Sheriff Potter addressed the loss of Sergeant Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada on August 17, 2025. He stated that the actions of the Box Elder Communications Center did not determine the outcome of that event and noted that the responsible individual is currently in jail.
He further clarified that all other law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and EMS providers in the county have voted to remain with the Box Elder Communications Center to maintain shared radio channels.
Sheriff Potter expressed a strong opposition to any move that fractures the unified communication network. He stated his desire for the departing agencies to reunite with the Box Elder Communications Center in the near future to restore essential public safety and interagency collaboration.
