SALT LAKE CITY — Law enforcement professionals across the country want answers about what's going on inside the Salt Lake City Police Department.
FOX 13 News was the first to report that multiple officers are on administrative leave, accused of improper contact with a dead person's body.
SLCPD has refused to address the case, prompting multiple informed sources to contact the FOX 13 Investigates team seeking anonymity.
Some witnesses described the case as a "prank" on a rookie officer who was convinced to cut through the blisters on a dead person's body earlier this month.
The case remains under investigation.
SLCPD declined to comment or confirm the investigation, calling it an "employment matter."
Chris Burbank, the former chief of SLCPD, said he was shocked and disappointed to see the current administration's lack of transparency.
"This is not an 'employment matter,'" Burbank said. "This is about the trust and confidence that the public has in the police department to do the basic job that they're assigned to do."
Burbank said the department should have already released the names of the officers on leave and informed the public about the details of the case.
He referred to the alleged conduct as "disgusting" and "egregious."
"All of this needs to be said [to the public] as soon as you find out," Burbank said. "Not when the reporter finds out about it! As a member of the public, it's like, 'Well, what else aren't they telling me on a regular basis?'"
VIDEO BELOW: Burbank shares his thoughts about the case
Jennifer Shen agreed to speak with FOX 13 News as a third-party expert. She retired as the director of the San Diego Police Department Crime Lab.
"I hope it isn't true," she said. "If it is? Law enforcement is not for everyone. I've never met anyone like that. If this is true, then I think [the officers] should be reevaluated."
Shen stated it is never appropriate for police officers to cut into a dead body, citing both ethical and evidentiary reasons.
"No one is going to think that's okay," Shen said. "Every person who is passed away and is in our care as a law enforcement agency should be treated with the utmost respect. No matter who they are, how they died, what they did prior to the death. It's our job to be respectful."
VIDEO BELOW: Shen discusses how law enforcement should treat the deceased with respect
"There's trace evidence on the body that might be important," Shen added. "There are patterns. There could be bruising patterns, or impression patterns, or toolmark patterns that are really important... You never know what might happen next, and you only get one crack at the evidence. If you betray your victim by not treating them with the most utmost respect, making sure that you’ve collected what you need to at the time? You can never go back."
FOX 13 News has requested body camera video of the incident.
We've also asked SLCPD if the victim's family has been notified of the allegations.
Again, the department declined to comment.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services stated it cannot comment on past or present cases, and it cannot comment on what's going on with SLCPD.
Instead, DHHS simply stated it "prioritizes respectful treatment of all our decedents."
As a result of our reporting, the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) stated it is reaching out to SLCPD for more details.
"Thank you for sharing your findings," wrote Hillary Koellner, a spokesperson for DPS. "We are now aware of the basic facts and there is at least a reasonable belief, based on the media notification, that a violation of 53-6-211 occurred... We don't have enough information to open a case, but we will be reaching out to the agency involved."
Stay with FOX 13 News for updates on this developing story.