South Salt Lake Reviewing Police Policies
Jun 15, 2020, 7:48 PM | Updated: 7:58 pm
detail of a police officer
SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah – Members of the South Salt Lake city leadership, including Mayor Cherie Wood and police Chief Jack Carruth, have pledged a comprehensive review of the police department and its procedures.
Police departments and municipalities around the country are reviewing how police interact with their communities following the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police and Rayshard Brooks who was fatally shot by a police officer in Atlanta. Floyd and Rayshard were black men and their deaths have led to protests and demonstrations around the country, including Salt Lake City.
South Salt Lake leaders laid out their police review plan in a news release Monday that focuses on building and maintaining trust with the community.
“We take the concerns brought forward by our community seriously,” said Mayor Wood.
“Our city wants every resident, business and visitor to the city to feel safe,” said Chief Carruth. “We will take an objective look at how we serve our community.”
The plan’s objectives are laid out in the release and include:
- Signing the Mayor’s Pledge – Commit to Action, the Obama Foundation
- Review police use of force policies
- Engage our community by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in the review
- Report the findings of the review to the community and seek feedback
- Reform police use of force policies
- Reform/Transform – Policy Evaluation of SSL Policing Practices
- Evaluation of Use of Force Policy
- Creating a South Salt Lake Citizen Review Board
“We plan to establish a Citizen Review Board to create oversight and add a communal component to our police policies,” said Mayor Wood. “Our Police Department has excellent protocols in place, I am proud to have a public safety team that values diversity,” she added.
Chief Carruth said, “My Officers are dedicated to serving arguably the most culturally and ethnically diverse population in the state and know we can benefit from a community-based lens. We will evaluate existing policies and discuss the findings with the city council and the community.”
