SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 10, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Police Department is asking for the public’s help recovering historic items missing for nearly a decade.
The police museum items went missing on May 15, 2013 when they were displayed during an awards ceremony at the Grand America Hotel. The person or persons who took the items without authorization.
One item was a display of badges commemorating 40 years of service by father and son officers John J. Roberts Sr. and John J. Roberts Jr., who served the department for a combined for more than 40 years between them.
During their careers, both served as presidents of the Police Mutual Aid Association (PMAA). Upon their retirements, the department presented each officer a gold PMAA “Past President” badge with their names engraved on the back. The missing display contained both PMAA “Past President” badges, as well as each officer’s service badge and cap insignia.
The other display included antique PMAA letterhead, PMAA booklets and possibly a copy of the PMAA letter of incorporation.
“The Salt Lake City Police Department is one of the oldest police departments in the United States, founded over 170 years ago,” the SLCPD statement says. “The items missing are important to the department’s history and should only be on display in the department’s museum.”
Anyone with information about any of these items is asked to contact the SLCPD’s Public Relations Unit via email at PolicePRUnit@slcgov.com.
