Park City, Idaho at dusk beneath the mountains — the county seat of Amelia County.

Command Staff

Leadership

Thirty-one years at the top, and a first-day deputy’s next step already mapped. The people who set the standard — and answer for it.

The Sheriff’s Office runs on two bureaus — Operations and Administration — working as one team across 2,400 square miles. Every leader here started where you might: on patrol, in detention, on a night shift. Where you start in this agency is not where you finish.

Sheriff of Amelia County · 31 yrs

Sheriff Tom Kinzle

Sheriff Tom Kinzle is a third-generation Idahoan who began his career as a patrol deputy in Amelia County in 1995 and never wanted to work anywhere else. Over three decades he served as a field training officer, SWAT team leader, patrol sergeant, and Operations chief deputy before being elected Sheriff in 2020 and re-elected in 2024. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Boise State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 271). Sheriff Kinzle’s priorities are simple: hire people of character, train them relentlessly, and give them the tools and trust to serve. He and his wife raise cattle on a small ranch outside Park City, and he still rides along with patrol at least one shift a month.

“We don’t hire résumés. We hire neighbors — people who will stand between this county and harm, and treat every person they meet with respect.”

Undersheriff · 24 yrs

Undersheriff Jason Hardwood

Undersheriff Jason Hardwood oversees the day-to-day operations of the entire agency, ensuring both bureaus work as one team. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2002 after four years in the infantry, and worked patrol, narcotics, and detectives before promoting through the ranks. As Undersheriff he has led the agency’s modernization efforts — from body-worn cameras to a new computer-aided dispatch system — and championed the take-home vehicle program for all deputies. He holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Idaho. When he’s off duty, he’s usually in the backcountry with a fly rod.

“The badge gets heavier the higher you go. My job is to make sure the deputies doing the real work have everything they need.”

Chief Deputy — Operations Bureau · 21 yrs

Chief Deputy Ben Trayger

Chief Deputy Ben Trayger commands the Operations Bureau: Patrol, Investigations, and Special Operations, including the agency’s K-9 teams, backcountry/off-road unit, and participation in the regional SWAT team. He started his career with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office before transferring to Amelia County in 2008 — he’ll tell any lateral candidate that it was the best decision of his career. Trayger has led some of the county’s most complex investigations and remains a certified crisis negotiator. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command.

“Amelia County deputies don’t sit in a cubicle waiting for a call. Mountains, rivers, highways, small towns — you’ll do more real police work here in a year than most do in five.”

Chief Deputy — Administration Bureau · 19 yrs

Chief Deputy Erin Garity

Chief Deputy Erin Garity commands the Administration Bureau: the Amelia County Detention Center, Records, the Training Unit, Professional Standards, and Recruiting & Backgrounds. She began her career as a detention deputy, earned her patrol certification, and served as a school resource deputy and detective before promoting into command — a path she points to as proof that where you start in this agency is not where you’ll finish. Garity holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Idaho State University and oversees the agency’s wellness and peer-support programs.

“We invest in people for a 25-year career, not a job posting. From your first day in the academy, you’ll know exactly what your next step can be.”

Commander — Patrol Division · 17 yrs

Commander Dana Woodworth

Commander Dana Woodworth leads the Patrol Division — the backbone of the Sheriff’s Office and the first face of the agency for the 45,000 residents it protects. She joined the office in 2009, served as a field training officer and traffic-crash reconstructionist, and was the first woman to lead the agency’s honor guard. As Patrol Commander she manages four patrol shifts, the reserve deputy program, and community policing initiatives across the county’s small towns and unincorporated areas. She is a graduate of the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy leadership program.

“Patrol is where you learn who you are. Every deputy I promote, every detective, every specialist — they were forged on night shift first.”

The Recruiting Team

The front door of the agency

Three sergeants, three lanes. If you apply to Amelia County, one of them is likely the first hand you’ll shake.

Sgt. Shay Emily

Recruiting & Backgrounds Sergeant · 12 yrs

“I’ve sat on both sides of this table. Ask me anything — my job is to get good people to the starting line prepared.”

Ask me about

the hiring process, background investigations, physical fitness prep, special unit tryouts

Sgt. Hank Nicholas

Patrol Sergeant · Collateral Recruiter · 10 yrs

“If you want to know what the job is really like — the calls, the schedule, the take-home rig — that’s my lane. Straight answers only.”

Ask me about

patrol life, military-to-law-enforcement transition, schedules and take-home vehicles, backcountry operations

Sgt. Ryan Oshima

Investigations Sergeant · Collateral Recruiter · 13 yrs

“Laterals ask me the same question: “Will I get stuck?” I transferred in, and now I lead the detectives. The ladder is real.”

Ask me about

lateral transfers, the detective path, promotional process, investigations careers

Contact the Recruiting Team