It’s been six months since Salt Lake City released a 50-page public safety plan. While Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said they have made “tremendous progress,” she lays some of the plan’s shortfalls squarely at the feet of the Utah Legislature.
“The city advocated for several clear policy changes that would have better advanced this plan, but many of them failed to pass through the Legislature,” Mendenhall told reporters Wednesday morning. “I urge lawmakers to give those measures more serious consideration moving forward.”
The city created the plan in response to a December 2024 letter from Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz that asked the mayor to “restore public confidence, security and safety” to the city.
In January, the city outlined 27 actions to improve safety. So far, it has completed 12. The plan also had 23 recommendations for outside partners, including the Legislature.
But to accomplish some of these goals, Mendenhall said the city needs more support from the state.
“Salt Lake City cannot act alone for the public safety plan to be effective,” she said. “Each level of government, each individual function, must hold one another accountable or the system will remain fragmented and inefficient.”
Some of the recommendations the city lobbied for that went unmet included creating a dedicated ongoing funding source for homeless services, increasing funding for Assertive Community Treatment teams and requiring more counties to provide substance abuse treatment services and a pathway for housing once people leave treatment.
“I'm disappointed, and I wish that more progress was made on those external recommendations during this year's legislative session,” she said.
One of the places with a lack of cooperation, according to the city, is homeless shelters.
The city is experiencing a shortage of 1,000 to 1,600 year-round emergency shelter beds, though Mendenhall said there are 400 more beds in Salt Lake County than there were last summer.
When the plan was initially released, the city offered land for a temporary shelter campus, but following the passage of HB 465, the land has been considered as a site for a permanent homeless services facility. Progress has stalled, according to Mendenhall.
“The city has done everything in our power to support this effort,” Mendenhall said. “Now we need the state to act to fully fund development and ongoing operations for this state on campus.”
Still, Mendenhall said the city has been moving in the right direction. Law enforcement has played a major role in the safety plan.
One goal that the city completed was the deployment of its Violent Criminal Apprehension Team. The team’s purpose is to “aggressively” target gang activity and disrupt the spread of narcotics and firearms.
“Over the past six months, their work has led to the confiscation of thousands of fentanyl pills, over 20 pounds of narcotics and nearly 100 illegally possessed firearms,” Mendenhall said.
In June alone, she added, 760 fentanyl pills, 30 grams of meth, 37 grams of crack cocaine and $4,300 in cash had been seized.
Police have concentrated their efforts both downtown and at the Jordan River Trail. Downtown, that has meant more camping citations and aggressive enforcement. Along the Jordan River Trail, which reopened July 11 after a months-long closure, officials are stepping up patrols to combat drug activity. In addition to arrests, the Community Impact Division is also meant to help refer people experiencing homelessness and mental crises to helpful resources.
But the increased presence of law enforcement downtown isn’t enough for the mayor’s office to complete its plan. Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said the community needs to get involved, too.
“Our ability to succeed is going to require trust and engagement with our community, and so for those who are interested in helping and supporting us, please reach out,” he said.
Looking ahead, there are still many actions and recommendations that the city has deemed “in progress.”
Salt Lake City is working to deploy additional security cameras in high-traffic areas. Public parks and squares will also see security cameras and drones. The goal is to have integrated park security cameras to deter crime. The city is working with the state to determine placement.
“Our approach to coordination also prioritizes smart and forward thinking and investment in public safety technology such as cameras and drones that will help our officers and detectives work more quickly, respond more efficiently and more safely,” Redd said.
Redd added that as the police department implements new technology, they want to roll it out in a way that the community understands and supports.
“We certainly want to make sure that people aren't feeling over policed,” he said. “And I think a lot of that is the connection that we have with the community, and we're committed to that.”
