SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera says she now supports a bill that seeks to disband the Unified Police Department.
At a news conference at the Utah State Capitol, the sheriff announced her support House Bill 374, which would dissolve UPD in 2025. But her support is reluctant. The bill was advancing in the legislature despite her past opposition to it.
"I have been put into a position, basically backed into a corner by political forces and there just is no easy path out," Sheriff Rivera told reporters on Tuesday.
HB374 originally blocked the sheriff from her elected duties and simultaneously serving as CEO of Unified Police Department. The sheriff said that while she felt she could educate critics about that issue, she was told by bill sponsor Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, that it would come back to the legislature every year.
"This issue continually comes up because there is a conflict of interest when there’s a separate policing entity and the county sheriff that has countywide use," Rep. Teuscher told FOX 13 News. "What this does is resets everything like it was before so that Salt Lake County handles its law enforcement like any other counties in the state."
Unified Police Department was created in 2009 by then-Sheriff Jim Winder, who envisioned a metro police force across the Salt Lake Valley. Over the years, the agency has had a rocky history of cities who jump in and out. Some complain that when other cities leave to form their own police department, costs increase and quality of service declines.
Rep. Teuscher said communities he represents — who aren't even part of UPD — were complaining they were still paying for the agency without any benefit.
"They were seeing countywide funds that were being given to the sheriff that were funneled to UPD that went to just support those areas of UPD," he said. "So we had a real double-taxation issue in the southwest part of the valley."
Sheriff Rivera acknowledged some communities did not feel like they were getting a similar benefit as other communities under UPD, but she added that there was little that could be done to make everyone happy.
"I chose not to oppose this bill because I have a responsibility to create long-term stability for public safety," she said.
The Utah Sheriffs Association said it supported Sheriff Rivera and questioned if some of UPD's critics wanted the power of the sheriff without the supervision of one.
"No one thought we’d end up in this situation, but here we are," said Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith, the head of the sheriff's association. "We agree with Sheriff Rivera that supporting the substitute bill is in the best interest of her community and employees."
Midvale Mayor Marcus Stevenson, who chairs UPD's board, acknowledged his own community has flirted with leaving the agency. The board itself opposes HB374 and he feared it would harm many communities across the county.
"This is going to have really significant impacts to public safety," the mayor said. "It’s going to have impacts to officer morale. This is going to have issues, if this passes, we are going to have to work through over the next two years."
Rep. Teuscher denied backing the sheriff into a corner with the legislation but said it addresses real concerns communities have with the agency.
"If they want to have the sheriff provide policing services? They can do that. If they want to have their own police force? They can do that. If they want to contract with another city’s police force? They can do that. It comes down to empowering communities to do what’s best for their city," he said.
The bill will appear in a House committee on Wednesday morning. Sheriff Rivera said that while she is supportive of the UPD model, she does envision a future agency that is different.
"I do see something different. I see something different because we all came together and created it," she said.
