Officer Finds Joy in Helping Others
Officer Justin Miller has been working with the Santaquin Police Department for five months. Before that, he spent his time pro- tecting the community of Salem as an officer for approximately one year.
Miller lives with his wife and two foster kids in Santaquin.
He expressed to me how much he loves being involved in the community and help- ing people out whenev- er possible.
Like many, Miller comes from a family that has been impact- ed by addictions. His background helps him understand many of the situations he encounters and deals with on a daily basis. When discussing what addiction does to families, he stated, “if I can do anything to prevent that, I try to.”
Miller finds great fulfillment in being a first responder, espe- cially when he is able to play a small role in changing peoples’ lives for the better. He loves being able to help peo- ple deal with certain circumstances and get through them. One of the hardest things about the job, he related, is that he can’t always help everyone. In regard to people who refuse assistance, he said, “When there’s nothing you can do, it’s pretty challenging. If they don’t want to help themselves, it’s hard to help them.”
When he has time to do what he likes, Miller often chooses to hunt and spend time with his family.
He also chuckled while mentioning how much he enjoys play- ing on the “old man softball league.”
One thing that has lifted Miller’s spirits in recent days is how much support he can feel from his commu- nity.
He explained that local support for police officers has stepped up, and that means a lot to those who risk their lives to protect others.
In reference to the increased support in recent weeks, Miller asserted, “You start to see there’s a lot more people than you real- ized that are support- ing you.”
He wants Santaquin and surrounding com- munities to know how much the extra support means to police officers and families, especially right now.