Mayor Mendenhall releases comprehensive Public Safety Plan

Jan. 16, 2025

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall released a comprehensive Public Safety Plan on Thursday, in response to an invitation from Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President J. Stuart Adams, and House Speaker Mike Schultz received last month. The plan outlines 50 actions and recommendations aimed at improving public safety and connecting people to services through immediate and systemic solutions.

"Despite our efforts to lead the state in affordable housing investment, homelessness resources, additional police officers, temporary shelter, overflow shelter and microshelters, it is evident every single day that on-street camping is still a challenge, the shelter system which exists today is not sufficient to address the ongoing, year-round demand, and that drug sales and use infest many of our communities," said Mayor Mendenhall. "Crime is down citywide, but when residents and visitors feel unsafe, it's clear that we have more we need to do."

The plan incorporates input from dozens of community members, state legislators, City Council members, business leaders, and frontline city staff. In addition to an analysis of current gaps, the Plan includes:

• 27 actions Salt Lake City will implement where it has jurisdiction, including offering city-owned property for a campus facility that will create approximately 1,000 emergency shelter beds, increasing visible police presence through foot and bike patrols, and aggressively targeting gangs, firearms, and drugs.
• 23 systemic recommendations requiring collaborative action among state, county, and city partners, focusing on critical issues like:
  • Expanding mental health, behavioral health, and substance use treatment options;
  • Investing in housing;
  • Policy reform; and
  • Coordination among judiciary systems, service providers, law enforcement, and government agencies to keep vulnerable individuals from falling through the cracks.

The Plan emphasizes that the State, Salt Lake County, and all cities must commit to a joint plan and execute it to effectively improve the system.

The Public Safety Plan is available for review at www.slc.gov/homelessness/public-safety/.