Does Big Brother live in Moab? He thinks he does and his name is Moab City Police Officer Scott Ryan. Because of an innocent misdialed phone number, Moab resident Matt Hebbard found himself the target of a law enforcement investigation that incredibly included the United States Secret Service. His alleged crime? According to Officer Ryan, Hebbard made threats against the life of President George W. Bush. Officer Ryan’s response was unconscionable.

Here’s what happened...

On the evening of September 8, a tenant who lives downstairs from Matt Hebbard, Steph Shepherd, used Matt’s phone to call her employer, Andy Nettell, at Arches Book Company. She misdialed the number and when she realized her mistake, hung up. Unknown to her at the time, she had dialed the number of Officer Scott Ryan of the Moab P.D. His roommate, David Glaser, later noticed the call and the name "Matthew Hebbard" on his caller ID, and dialed Hebbard’s home, mistakenly thinking it was another "Matt," who was a friend of his.

Somehow, Hebbard and Glaser became engaged in a heated conversation which included a discussion of the upcoming presidential election. Throughout the argument, Glaser refused to identify himself to Hebbard. The phone call ended when Hebbard said, "Don’t vote for Bush." Glaser was convinced, apparently, that Hebbard’s negative attitude toward President Bush included wanting to murder him and so Glaser told his roommate, Officer Ryan, of his concern.

Ryan, new to the force, apparently decided on his own, without any discussion with his supervisors, or with Hebbard, to notify the Grand County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service. Deputy Steve Brownell called Hebbard at 11:30pm on September 8 and asked him about his conversation with Glaser.

Hebbard was dumbfounded by the accusation, and vehemently denied wanting to murder anyone, including the President. Matt did make it clear, however, that he had no intention of voting for the incumbent.

A few days later, Matt was actually visited by Secret Service agent Stan Kirshner from the Salt Lake City office. Kirshner interviewed all parties involved and "closed the case." Kirshner did not even bother to forward the case to Secret Service Headquarters. It was that ridiculous.

Even at this strange junction in the history of our nation, Officer Ryan’s reckless and intimidating and even juvenile behavior as OUR public servant, has no place in this community. All of Moab’s citizens should insist that Police Chief Mike Navarre and Moab’s City Council take steps to insure that this kind of Gestapo Tactic never EVER happens again.

Jim Stiles