SALT LAKE CITY — According to the National Council of Criminal Justice, crime is down across the country and in Salt Lake City. So why is the Salt Lake City Police Department asking for additional funding from the city council?
The numbers show homicides in Utah's capital city declined 27% between 2024 and 2025, and 47% over the past 6 years. Crimes like vehicle burglaries are also way down. Salt Lake City Police Chief Michael Redd said the additional funding he’s asking for is money well spent to keep those numbers low, not only now but into the future.
“Number one, are we as efficient in our call response?" Redd said to the council in Mary. "Are our officers feeling supported?"
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Redd last May, asking city council members for additional funding for his department.
Among the reasons shared by Redd for needing the additional funding were items such as money for officer overtime, an expanded drone program, license plate readers, and $1 million for a police mobile command center.
“Technology is constantly changing, so there’s always going to be expenses, and we want to be on the cutting edge, so that’s why we’re requesting the funding,” the chief said.
Members of the Salt Lake City Council are currently considering Redd's request.
“Many of these expenditures seem to be reasonable," admitted Dist. 2 councilman Alejandro Puy. "I cannot personally speak for everyone, but based on the meetings that we had, the requests were very reasonable and important for the future of the city.“
Puy was speaking about, among other things, major conventions, the reopening of the Salt Lake Temple, and ultimately, the 2034 Winter Olympics; events that will bring millions of people from around the world into Salt Lake City over the next several years.
“We have major events coming to town, right? We are growing that way, we are leveling up on the events coming to town, and we need to keep everybody safe,” said Puy.
"We need to have the tools and the technology and the equipment to be able to equip those types of events,” added Redd.
Puy says the council is not giving the police department a blank check, and council members will fully scrutinize every budget request from the police department.
