Bill would dismantle Unified Police Department

SALT LAKE CITY — The Unified Police Department could soon be on its way out.

A proposed bill would dismantle the department and force communities to either create their own police departments or go with the Salt Lake County Sheriff.

Rep. Jordan Teuscher R-South Jordan sponsored HB374. He said as it is now, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera has the discretion to put as many tax dollars as she wants into UPD, which ultimately doesn’t help cities that have their own police departments.

Unified Police Department was created in 2009 with the idea that police forces could consolidate many of their resources to make the larger department more cost-effective in some ways and stronger in others.

“The Unified Police Department is nationally known for their investigative work and their Metro Gang Unit,” Rivera said.

Some lawmakers are concerned that by having the Salt Lake County Sheriff also serve as the CEO of Unified Police, there could be some conflicts of interest.

“We don’t need the county and the State Legislature establishing this supra police force that has established UPD,” Teuscher said.

He said citizens are paying taxes toward county law enforcement and not always knowing if it will actually benefit the whole county.

“There’s a lot more transparency and accountability when it’s straight from the sheriff’s office to their deputies to actually enact programs,” Teuscher added.

Rivera said her administration has been fighting this bill for several years. It has taken hundreds of hours and hurt morale.

“We can’t continue to have politics get in the way of public safety,” Rivera said.

That’s why she will no longer oppose the bill. Communities under UPD will have to choose to either create their own agencies or contract through the sheriff’s department or neighboring cities.

It could mean less of the strength in numbers and resources that UPD has now, but Rivera said she will work on a model that will still provide the services the cities and townships need.

If this law passes it will go into effect in 2025. That would allow time to transition everything into the Sheriff’s Office.

It goes before a house committee Wednesday.