Rural towns in Jefferson County feel neglected by law enforcement

A few upper valley communities are concerned for their safety.

They said nearly one dozen unsolved burglaries in the Terreton and Mud Lake area are being ignored and law enforcement isn’t doing anything about it.

The Mud Lake and Terreton area relies on the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for all of their law enforcement needs.

Both towns are about a 45 minute drive from Rigby, where the sheriff’s office is located.

They say the distance makes them feel ignored.

“We used to have a deputy that lived out here and there isn’t anymore,” said Sherry Locascio. “The response time is slow. We’ve just had a lot of problems and by the time they get there it’s too late.”

Mud Lake Mayor, Sherry Locascio, said after 11 burglaries have gone unsolved in her town, she knew she had to do something about it.

So she organized a public meeting for Wednesday night, inviting the county sheriff, prosecutor and commissioners.

“I hope that we can come to some kind of agreement to help make our side of the county safer and not just with law enforcement, but with everything,” said Locascio.

The town of barely 200 people, says it feels neglected compared to the 4,000 living in Rigby.

“I know we have fewer people, but we are still taxpayers in the county,” said Locascio. “We need to be heard and taken care of like everybody else.”

Sheriff Blair Olsen said he doesn’t know what to expect at the meeting, but he’ll definitely be attending.

The public meeting is Wednesday night at 7:30 at the Jefferson District Alternative Learning Center in Terreton.