Police chief reacts to crimes that have moved the east since the beginning of the Jordan River Trail

Salt Lake City – New data show that crime has come into force since Jordan River Trail Safety Operation.

An increase in calls regarding homelessness rose in the city center in Richmond Park and in Herman Franks Park.

People who live near Liberty Park said KSL TV that there were worse than ever before.

“This year was the first year in which we had many challenges with the homeless population,” said Kevin Lindsay, secretary of the Liberty Wells Community Council.

He said that a joint cleanup in April in Liberty Park had been interrupted by a verbal argument between some unshakable people.

“There was a lot of language, a lot of screaming and screaming and violent threats, which makes it an insecure area for children and families who are nearby,” said Lindsay.

Kyle Butler said the problems moved from the Jordan River Trail to his neighborhood south of Liberty Park.

“You are trying not to enforce camping in the parks, but now you are camping in our neighborhoods, which is less safe, right?” He said. “There are children who are now going outside of their houses, and there are only garbage piles and things.”

He and others said that they regularly find human waste, toilet paper, drugs, alcohol and garbage that bring in more rats and raccoons.

Nate Cornwall, another inhabitant of Liberty Wells, pointed out on the 700 East fence line near the Roosevelt Ave.

“We report it to the health department via the MySLC app, but it is usually a delay with you to get out of here, and the waste simply remains,” said Lindsay. “We try to get out as a community and clean it.”

Cornwall said that many problems near 700 east between Kensington and Roosevelt Avenue. He said that the lot belongs to the Ministry of Transport by Utah, which is agreed with Salt Lake City that the city will be retained.

Cornwall said that he tried to reinterpret the area by inquiries to Udot and the city, but instead it has become a room in which the homeless population goes near the nearby parks, and then leaves the next day the next day. He said they left many rubble.

“Ask for help to help with the courted people who use this in this area and was a little poor or apathetic,” he said. “When you come in the morning, you will see how an entire caravan moves up and down.”

These residents said they want homeless resources.

“I hope that we will find a way to get through a place where you can camp when we allow it,” said Butler.

The current conditions change how you feel about where you live.

“If you ask you to continue, those who are massively in a drug -induced state are very annoying,” said Butler. “It is really heartbreaking to hear, as my eight -year -old son said:” I don't want to do it because I am worried about homeless people, “said Cornwall.

Brian Redd, police chief of Salt Lake City, said he knows that the crime is moving and his department adapts his actions.

“In the case of Liberty Wells, we found that one of the areas with which we had problems was state property. Therefore we contacted the state and they helped us with some without an entry sign and helped us with a few fences,” said Chief Redd.

He said that many of the people involved in drug use experience homelessness, but some do not.

“Many of these people are not all residents of Salt Lake City,” said Chief Redd. “Many of them come from other cities, other countries, but we just have to continue working on the problem.”

He said the city needed more shells and treatment options, but recognized that many people do not want to get off the street.

“Addiction is too powerful, they have mental illnesses challenges, psychological health problems that hinder their decision -making. And some of them simply don't want to change their lifestyle,” he said.

The homeless lawyer Wendy Garvin with unprotected Utah pointed out that some people will not protect due to barriers.

“You do not have the ability to jump through the tires to have filled out the entire ID and the entire paperwork in a short time, or they tried it and they were rejected,” said Garvin. “Even if you have funds, the apartment manager can still say no due to the previous or similar evacuation.”

Chief Redd said he was talking to other stakeholders about these topics.

“Often we only arrest and book them in prison and they are released and they receive a court appointment and they go to an arrest warrant,” he said. “And this causes the escalation in the fees and creates the obstacles. We look at how we can make the punitive justice system more effective and combine it with the treatment.”

With regard to camping, Chief Redd said that the officers of the city ordinance followed.

“We have to look at the regulation, we have to see what the case law is,” he said. “These discussions are carried out internally. I have no answer for you. As in every situation, every case is a little different.”

It is the type of reaction that residents such as Butler, who have negative effects of homeless camps.

“When I spoke to the officer, he said:” Well, I can't do anything because there have to be camping equipment, “said Butler.” Rhen, it gets into the whole, is Tarp Camping equipment? Is the car you turn through camping equipment? And the way you don't see is no, it must be legitimate camping equipment that I think everyone can agree with if you simply think about it critically, that will not solve anything. “

Chief Redd encourages the residents to continue to report questions.

“We will continue to be as quick as possible and will only make incremental improvements on the way,” he said.

Chief Redd said that he believed that he has held compassion by holding people into account.

“We will not allow Salt Lake City to become a place where it is acceptable to allow people to live on the street, and the conditions on which they live to be victims, traumatized, abused, especially women,” he said.

Chief Redd said he had talks with local and state leaders to find out the next steps.

“We will go to the state, I will go to the other city departments and look for solutions with garbage disposal and tidying up and simply working together,” he said. “I speak to political decision -makers: 'Here are some things that happen on the streets of Salt Lake City. This is the way we see here every day.”

He didn't say when the temporary closure of the Jordan River Trail would end.

“In the future we will look at the data and where we have the problems. We will use officers there,” said Chief Redd. “When we saw movement in the area of ​​Liberty, we took some resources from the Jordan river and moved them to the Liberty area.”

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