Salt Lake City Police Department arrested 44-year-old Anthony Jack for his alleged involvement in several crimes, including multiple burglaries. FILE: KSL TV
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) is looking to add more officers after dozens have exited in the past year.
According to SLCPD Chief Mike Brown, at least 45 cops have either resigned or retired during that stretch. As a result, they’re currently understaffed in a number of areas.
“What we’re trying to do is hire more officers,” explained Chief Brown. “We’re trying to hire not only lateral officers, but we’re trying to hire a new class.”
Recently returning from a nationwide conference of police chiefs, Brown says the issue is not unique to Salt Lake City.
“It’s not just something that’s happening here in Salt Lake City, this is happening across our country,” he said.
While speaking with KSL Newsradio’s Dave & Dujanovic, Chief Brown said it would be unfair to speculate on why some officers are choosing to resign. Rather, he says the important thing is to always treat members of the force with the utmost respect they deserve.
“Most importantly we’re trying to show support and appreciation to the officers that we have,” he highlighted. “What we’re trying to do here is fix it at all the levels.”
Five Salt Lake City Police Department officers left the force last June, amid widespread protests and criticism of police brutality.
At the time, Chief Brown told reporters he spoke with three of the individuals that were leaving. He says they all were early in their law enforcement career, were planning to pursue further education and eventually go into a different line of work.
“They just felt like there were family concerns, that they felt like they could relieve some of the stress on their family and some of their concerns by getting into a different career,” he said in June.