Republican political leaders in Utah are now pushing for Salt Lake City leaders to do more to address the issue of homelessness in the capital.
Governor Spencer Cox, House Speaker Mike Schultz, and Senate President J. Stuart Adams wrote the letter to Mayor Erin Mendenhall. In the letter they wrote, “Local law enforcement is the front end of the system to appropriately address the disorder that we are experiencing in our capital city. The ineffectiveness of SLCPD has become glaringly apparent.”
Mayor Mendenhall, As Utah’s leaders, we hear daily from business leaders, philanthropists, and citizens who are deeply concerned about the escalating public safety challenges in Salt Lake City. These stakeholders have urged the state to step in and address the law enforcement and criminal justice inadequacies impacting our capital city. Recently, Clark Ivory shared insights from a Utah Impact Partnership event, where you discussed the root causes of these challenges. He relayed your assertion that the issue lies not solely with law enforcement but from deeper failures in the criminal justice system. According to Mr. Ivory, you emphasized the efforts of the Salt Lake City Police Department to apprehend individuals violating the law but expressed frustration over a system that often allows even felons to “walk free within 45 minutes.” Mr. Ivory also respectfully advocated on your behalf, conveying your readiness to collaborate with law enforcement leadership to create a strategic plan rather than default to legislative intervention. Local law enforcement is the front end of the system to appropriately address the disorder that we are experiencing in our capital city. The ineffectiveness of SLCPD has become glaringly apparent. In the spirit of collaboration, we invite you to present this plan to us no later than January 17, 2025. The strategic plan should include clear accountability, enforce state law and local ordinances, and achieve decisive outcomes to eliminate crime and restore public safety. If your plan demonstrates the decisive leadership and results needed to resolve these issues, we will work to strengthen and sustain your efforts through legislative action. However, if progress stalls or alignment cannot be achieved, the legislature is prepared to move forward with legislation to increase state involvement and oversight during the upcoming session. We respect your authority to lead this effort and design an effective strategy for improving public safety in Salt Lake City. To support you, we sought input from business leaders, who proposed a framework that identifies breakdowns in the system and implements necessary reforms. We have enclosed a high-level outline of their recommendations to assist in your planning. The safety and well-being of all Utahns depend on bold leadership and swift action. We are committed to solving these challenges and expect your office to do its part to restore public confidence, security, and safety in our state’s capital city.