Summit County council swears in first female Sheriff

During Wednesday’s county council meeting, the council officially swore in former Deputy Chief Kacey Bates as the new Summit County Sheriff, making her the first female Sheriff in the county’s history. Bates had been serving in an interim role following Smith’s retirement and was

Bates began her law enforcement career in 1997 in the Corrections Division as a deputy, Sergeant and Lieutenant before moving on to other roles including Patrol and Investigations, and she served as a School Resource Officer.

Smith retired on September 5, and he endorsed Bates for the role of interim sheriff. Bates will fill the remainder of Smith’s term through 2027.

Bates is the second female sheriff in Utah, with the first being Sheriff Rosie Rivera of Salt Lake County.