Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds last week released his personnel files to The Park Record after being accused in the past of abusing his authority as a police officer.

Some of Edmunds’ critics claim he has been too aggressive in the way he has practiced law enforcement during his career. But the personnel records released last week contain many letters of praise and positive reviews of his performance from superiors.

It was the first time Edmunds, a Republican, has given the media full access to his personnel files. The sheriff last week released employment records from the St. George Police Department, Utah Highway Patrol and Park City Police Department.

Edmunds said there is not a negative comment in any of the three personnel files. The sheriff said he has nothing to hide.

There are no reprimand letters and no documentation of Edmunds ever being disciplined at any of the three departments. Edmunds consistently had strong performance reviews from all three agencies.

Edmunds worked as a police officer in Park City before he was elected sheriff in 2002. His personnel file at the department has been the subject of controversy in the past.

But his final regular performance review written in January 2003, was a positive letter from one of the area’s top law enforcement officials, Lloyd Evans. The letter is notable because Edmunds and Evans, then the police chief in Park City, were said to have disagreed on several issues.

Evans wrote to Edmunds on Jan. 2, 2003: “Without exception, each supervisor indicated that you are a good officer, capable, hardworking and dedicated to the ideals of law enforcement and that your performance over this review period has exceeded their expectations.”

The former chief praised Edmunds’ performance as a venue commander in Park City during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

“Your support was key to our overall success and your willingness to step up and take on the difficult challenges provided by the Olympics says a great deal about your character and dedication to law enforcement,” Evans wrote.

As an Olympic venue commander, Edmunds earned respect from many of his colleagues, Evans wrote in a letter to Edmunds in August 2002.

“I want you to know that I have had a number of phone calls, letters and conversations from the officers under your command at Park City Mountain Resort, commending you for your efforts and leadership,” Evans wrote. “It was apparent to me that you gained the respect and trust of those under your command, which accounts, to a high degree for the success we enjoyed at the venue.”

Meanwhile, Edmunds’ opponent on Election Day, Francis Democrat Dax Shane, said he does not plan to release his personnel records to the newspaper. Shane has worked as a police officer in Salt Lake City since 2002.

“If you want my information you can call down to the department and get it,” Shane said in a telephone interview. “You can call down to the department and get the information from internal affairs.”

A spokesman for the Salt Lake City Police Department’s internal affairs division said he could not comment about Shane’s employment history when reached Thursday.

Shane has admitted that he was fired from his job in Salt Lake City about eight years ago for cheating on several police academy quizzes. He said he was rehired about two days later.

“You have the worst thing that I have done in the police department,” Shane said, referring to the cheating incident. “I’m not lying at all about it I’m not hiding anything from the voters.”

Shane declined to comment when asked how many times he has been suspended from work without pay.

“I’m not saying one thing or the other,” Shane said.