Utah County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Spencer Cannon calls it a career after 34 years of service
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- Utah County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Spencer Cannon speaks during his retirement ceremony Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024.
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- Sgt. Spencer Cannon, public information officer for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, explains the location that human remains were found with members of the media in the parking lot near the mouth of American Fork Canyon on Monday, April 15, 2019.
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- Sgt. Spencer Cannon, public information officer for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, describes the scene for media members where an officer-involved shooting occurred in the Lakeshore area in Spanish Fork on Saturday, April 30, 2016. The officer was not injured, and the suspect was pronounced dead shortly after the incident.
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- Sgt. Spencer Cannon, of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, right, hugs Ed Cameron, left, after the Utah Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge Heroes & National Awards Luncheon at the Little America Hotel on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, in Salt Lake City. Cannon donated his kidney to Cameron.
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- Sgt. Spencer Cannon, public information officer with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, shakes hands with newly instated Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith during Smith’s swearing-in ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in the rotunda of the Utah County Historic Courthouse in Provo.
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- Utah County Sheriff Sgt. Spencer Cannon affixes a sticker reading “seat reserved for adults who give alcohol to minors,” to his patrol car as part of a media event outside the Utah County Government Building in Provo on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.
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- Sgt. Spencer Cannon, right, looks out over the area where two bodies were discovered on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, near Eureka.
It almost didn’t matter what time — day or night, and even sometimes while he was spending time with his grandkids — Utah County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Spencer Cannon made himself available to take calls from the media during active and major news events in the county.
But after 34 years of law enforcement, a majority of which as the public voice of the sheriff’s office, Cannon officially retired Wednesday.
It’s something he’d thought about off and on over the years, he said during a retirement ceremony Wednesday afternoon, until he finally made the decision of taking a new direction in life.
He joined the organization in September 1990, going on to serve in multiple facets including working in the jail, as a patrol officer and detective, and in emergency services, among other roles.
Eventually, he took on the task of public information officer. Cannon would field calls and inquiries from journalists and media outlets seeking information on news events that were of value to the public, such as murders and assaults, road rage incidents, vehicular crashes, disasters, criminal investigations, search and rescue operations, and a variety of other occurrences.
In the role, he served as a liaison to the media, dispersing critical and timely information, which in many cases wasn’t always good news.
“Certainly, there were days where I would rather be doing something else, but I loved being at work, even on the days when some of the most awful things happen,” Cannon said.
But even amid some of the most heartbreaking incidents, he said it’s been an honor to represent the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
“I love having a hand in crafting the message and the image of the sheriff’s office,” he said.
In 2021, Cannon told the Daily Herald about one incident that will always stick with him — when a man died after being stuck in the Nutty Putty Cave for 27 hours back in 2009.
“It was by far the hardest press briefing I ever had to do,” he said at the time.
But it wasn’t all gut-wrenching media alerts and press briefings. Cannon’s social media feed periodically would include lighthearted moments including what’s on the menu at the county jail, new correctional officers sworn in, various programs the agency hosts and fundraising events.
Cannon has seen it all over the past 34 years, from technology changes to the ways the public interacts with law enforcement.
He says that while the public may not realize it or get to see it, the sheriff’s office does what they can to leave a positive impact on those they interact with.
“We like being there to help them take a new path in life,” Cannon told the Daily Herald.
One example of this sentiment was displayed by a woman who said she was arrested by Cannon in 2008 after a traffic violation. At the time, he didn’t know she was struggling from a drug addiction, KUTV reported in 2021.
Years later following her recovery, she and Cannon ended up being neighbors. In an interview with Fox 13, she said the arrest led to her making life changes and likely saved her from something worse happening.
Cannon said he’ll miss those interactions with the public and the camaraderie within the sheriff’s office.
“I will miss the teamwork that we have. The people that I work with are so good at their jobs, who care about helping other people,” he said.
During the retirement ceremony at the Utah County Sheriff’s Office facility in Spanish Fork, friends and colleagues shared numerous memories and stories recounting Cannon’s tenure.
Sheriff Mike Smith expressed his admiration for Cannon’s integrity and contributions over the many years.
“We’re truly going to miss him; he has represented this county so well. But it is a well-deserved retirement,” Smith said.
As Cannon sails off into retirement, he’s looking forward to traveling, spending time with family and possibly serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with his wife.
