SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 14, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera reluctantly announced her support Tuesday for a bill that dissolves the Unified Police Department, saying political opponents won’t stop until UPD is no more.
Rivera previously had been be fighting against HB374, which as substituted would remove sections of state law passed in 2009 that created UPD, returning law enforcement services to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The bill is scheduled to be considered by the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
“The people of Salt Lake County elected me to make hard decisions in the name of public safety,” said Rivera, who addressed the bill at an afternoon news conference at the Utah Capitol. “They don’t get much harder than this.”
Rivera called UPD opponents’ allegations that a conflict of interest exists within the law enforcement agency “misinformed attacks” that lack any specific examples. Under current law, the Salt Lake County sheriff also serves as CEO of UPD.
“I am confident there is no conflict of interest, and I was deeply disappointed when I was told that the perception of a conflict was enough to run a bill to fundamentally change the UPD,” she said.
Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, said the substituted bill calls for UPD to be dissolved on July 1, 2025.
“There is an almost 2 1/2 year runway before the bill goes into effect, giving time to everyone to fully transition,” Teuscher told Gephardt Daily.
“As far as the conflict of interest goes, the sheriff is the elected sheriff for the entire county. She also serves as the CEO of UPD,” he said. “There certainly are instances [when] what might be best for the county is not what is best for UPD and vice versa.”
Other concerns, Teuscher said, include how UPD funds are spent and potential for double taxation.
“In particular, in my section of the county, there are concerns about countywide funds that have gone to the sheriff’s department given to UPD that tend to only benefit those members of the UPD,” he said. “Additionally, there are services that are paid for out of countywide funds where the cities in my area of the county pay for similar services from municipal tax dollars, creating a double taxation problem.”
Fighting against the bill “only prolongs the inevitable,” Rivera said, adding that Teuscher has told her he will bring the legislation back each year until it passes.
“I believe in my heart that supporting the substitute is best for the community I have sworn to protect and serve,” the sheriff said. “I have asked the UPD board to support the substitute and have committed to them to work together over the next two years to find a new agreement for providing police services in their communities.”
The proposed legislation emerged from a committee review of UPD’s countywide services that included members of the UPD Board of Directors, Salt Lake County Council, city mayors and municipal staff, police chiefs, and legislative staff.
“In those meetings, it became clear that there was a formal coordinated effort to remove the sheriff,” Salt Lake County Undersheriff Jake Petersen said. “UPD and Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office staff did all we could to kill the bill before it became a reality. Those efforts were in vain since we are where we are today.”
The Utah Sheriffs’ Association also had been opposing the bill but joined Rivera in reluctant support of the proposed substitution.
“We agree with sheriff Rivera that supporting the substitute bill is in the best interest of the community and her employees,” said Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith, the association’s president. “We know she is committed to continuing to serve UPD member communities through new agreements and that she will work to find new ways to consolidate policing services.”
UPD began operating in 2010 to consolidate police services between Salt Lake County municipalities. Members pool their funds to pay for police services, which reduces costs overall, according to UPD.
If the substituted legislation passes, UPD will have two years to plan a transition for its operations to protect public safety and jobs.
