SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City police, along with state and federal partners, gave an update Thursday on the success of a new crime control plan launched in January.
“Today, thanks to the partnership that we have formed, guns and hard drugs have been seized, and over 90 individuals have been charged with serious federal crimes,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
The 2021 crime control plan was launched to get criminals off the streets and keep the community safe.
The police department says the improvements are tangible.
“Criminals that have guns on the street commit horrific crimes, aggravated assault, shootings, homicide; we have taken those guns off the street, but more importantly we have taken those individuals off the street, as well,” said Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown.
Since December, 84 guns have been seized off the streets; 22 of those were stolen.
“I don’t think we can overstate 84 guns being taken off the streets of Salt Lake City," said ATF Assistant Special Agent in charge Brad Engelbert. "That’s 84 guns that can no longer be used to commit crime in this community, that cannot be used in shootings, that cannot be used in homicides,”
In addition, 97 people have been charged with crimes. Of those, 50 have been charged with illegally possessing a firearm, 22 were charged with drug trafficking offenses, 2 with robbery and 13 charged with other crimes.
“Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas, and we need to continue moving forward,” said U.S. Marshal Matt Harris.
As of now, compared to December, violent crime in Salt Lake City is down from 21 percent to 16.4 percent, and property crime is down from 24.2 to 20.1 percent.
“We will continue this endeavor, we will continue pulling guns off the street, we will continue prosecuting to the full extent any individual that violates federal law, and in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office we are having great results,” said Engelbert.
