Lt. Robert Blackburn to retire after 27 years

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

After 27 years and seven months of service, Lt. Robert Blackburn is going to take off his badge. His last day on the job will be Oct. 30. A retirement party was held in his honor by the Emery County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.
Lt. Blackburn was born in Price and moved with his family to Whittier, Calif. when he was 6 years old. He lived and worked there and attended college at Rio Hondo where he took law enforcement classes. He married his wife Deborah and they decided they didn’t want to live and raise a family in California so in October of 1977 they moved to Ferron.
He worked at Des-bee-Dove coal mine as well as Plateau and Wattis for nine years. He took the test for the Emery County Sheriff’s Office and continued to work in the mine until one day then Sheriff LaMar Guymon called and offered him a job. Lt. Blackburn accepted the job offer. He went through the police academy and worked on the road patrol for nine years.
He went into investigations and detective work after his time out on the road. He was a detective, detective sergeant over all the investigations in the county and was the medical examiner.
He became a lieutenant after Sheriff Greg Funk was elected. Sheriff Funk presented Lt. Blackburn with an appreciation plaque and flowers for Deborah. He said, “We appreciate so much the service Bob has given over the years. He’s a master interviewer and can get anyone to confess, even if they didn’t do it.”
Since becoming a lieutenant he has been over the jail and investigations. During his years as a detective he also worked with the drug task force. He is a firearms instructor, range master and has taught concealed weapons classes.
“I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s been a good career. I really like solving a crime. I liked being the medical examiner. It’s a nice feeling to put a crime together like a puzzle and figure it out. All my children have followed in my footsteps having careers in law enforcement and that’s like the icing on the cake. My son Erick is the head of the Indian Bureau for the Uintah and Ouray tribes. My son Nicholas is a fireman/paramedic/engineer with the Provo fire department. My daughter Alyssa Sanchez is a court tracker for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. She takes care of those people with ankle bracelet monitors. My son-in-law Jorge Sanchez is the operations manager at Camp Williams.
“My wife is also going to retire at the end of the school year. We plan to travel and enjoy life. I bought a new side-by-side and a toy hauler and we’re going to see the country,” said Lt. Blackburn.
Lt. Blackburn is still jogging four or five miles a day and he throws in some bike riding to mix things up. He enjoys fitness and it’s been his stress reliever over the years at the sheriff’s office where he’s had to deal with many unpleasant situations. He knows he’s going to miss the friendships he’s made at the sheriff’s office but he hopes to keep in touch with everyone and they are always welcome to stop by his house in Ferron and have a coke.
He loves Emery County. “It’s my home and we love it here, we plan to stay here after I retire and enjoy our time together and our nine grandchildren,” said Lt. Blackburn.