SALT LAKE CITY — The Taylor family has lived right along the Jordan River Trail since 1962.
Over the years, the trail that was once a place for families to enjoy a walk or bike ride doesn’t feel the same anymore, and they want to change that.
Recently, FOX 13 News spotted a Facebook post by Rose Park resident Chelsey Taylor who shared concerns for her parents' safety. Then, other community members weighed in.
In January, Mayor Erin Mendenhall unveiled a new homelessness and public safety plan targeting crime hot spots, including the Jordan River Trail.
“The issue is people don’t really see how bad it is unless they really came down here and took a look or took a walk,” Taylor said. “This is not just a homeless problem. This has gotten out of control.”
Her father, Andrew Taylor, said it’s not the trail he remembers.
“It used to never be that way, never,” he said. “I used to sit on my front porch, drink coffee, and wave to all the families that walked by.”
Brent Weisberg, the communications director for the Salt Lake City Police Police Department, noted that their presence has ramped up along the trail over the last week and a half but that seeing sustainable changes will take time.
“Community members deserve to feel safe — we feel their frustration,” he said. “We’re working on this issue; we’re working on this issue every single day.”
Kate Jarman-Gates, a Rose Park community advocate for unsheltered people, weighed in on the conversation online.
“We need to learn about trauma and have compassion for them and for ourselves,” she said. “Learn about what trauma does, maybe start to see your homeless neighbor as someone that’s just like you or one of your friends.”
The Taylor family contacted Mayor Mendenhall recently and is working on setting up a meeting with her. They said they want to hear from the community about what else they can do to help.
“I feel like because we’re in Rose Park, no one cares,” she said. “Rose Park deserves better than this.”
