Salt Lake City mayor, police chief announce Ballpark community substation

The Salt Lake City Police Department on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, announced a new Ballpark substation: Photo: SLCPD

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 4, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown and Mayor Erin Mendenhall have announced a new police substation at Smith’s Ballpark.

Mendenhall said she’s proud of work the SLCPD has done in the past year to lower crime, “including in District 5, where total crime is down nearly 10% year to date,” she said at a Thursday morning news conference.

“As promising as this work has been, I know statistics don’t always translate into the lived experience of residents. This new substation in the heart of the Ballpark community will be a hub where officers can work and have a closer connection to this neighborhood.”

Brown said his department “remains committed to community-based policing. That model means we as a police department can offer personalized police services to proactively reduce crime and to strengthen relationships within our community.”

The lightened area is the Ballpark community neighborhood Image Google Maps

The needs of the community vary, Brown said, “which is why there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Community-oriented policing means we as a police department have to go beyond merely responding to crime. We have to holistically develop ways to prevent future crime and to help resolve the problems our communities face.”

The Ballpark substation will not be a functional police station, like the Public Safety Building or Pioneer Precinct. The substation will be utilized primarily by the department’s Liberty Bike Squad, which is focused on reducing street crimes and building relationships with community members.

The substation will give the Liberty Bike Squad the opportunity to have a recharging location central to their patrol area, the statement says. It also will house equipment for the Liberty Bike Squad and the Salt Lake City Police Department in the Liberty Patrol Division.

The police department is working with city officials, including the City Council, to secure lease agreements for two other substations in its other two patrol divisions — Central and Pioneer.

Renovations to the space that will be used inside Smith’s Ballpark is ongoing. An opening date is to be determined. For operational security for both Smith’s Ballpark and the space being used by SLCPD, no tours are being provided.

The Salt Lake City Police Department on Thursday Aug 4 2022 announced a new Ballpark substation Photo SLCPD

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