Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and Unified Police Department Split After 14 Years

SALT LAKE CITY — A big change took place Monday within the Salt Lake County Police Department. After 14 years, the unified police department and the sheriff's office officially became separate departments.

The agencies said the biggest change for the public will be in the canyons and unincorporated areas of Salt Lake City. Those will now be patrolled by the sheriff's office instead of the UPD. Major departments like the Metro Gang Unit, the DEA task force, Warrants and Extraditions and Search and Rescue will once again be under the sheriff's office's jurisdiction.

Eight cities under UPD have chosen to continue to unite for policing. They are Kearns, Magna, Midvale, Millcreek, Holladay, Copperton, Emigration Canyon and White City. They have chosen to reinstate their interlocal agreement and operate under a council of government.

The town of Brighton will remain under the supervision of the sheriff's office.

“Moving forward, we look forward to continuing our partnership with UPD,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

On Monday, the sheriff's office swore in more than 70 new officers and dozens of other civilian officers, bringing its workforce to about 1,100 employees.

The change came after the Utah Legislature passed Bill HB374 in 2023, requiring counties the size of Salt Lake City to make the change. As that bill was being debated, Rivera was reluctant to support it and cited political pressure, but he ultimately did so.

“I’m no longer making this change reluctantly because the state legislature asked us to. We want to make sure we’re doing what we need to do,” Rivera said. “I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished in one year.”

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Jordan Teuscher, a Republican from South Jordan, argued that a sheriff overseeing both his own office and the UPD was in conflict, because cities that weren't part of the UPD didn't have the sheriff's independence. He also argued that cities in Salt Lake County that didn't use the UPD were being taxed twice.

But others have argued that having a larger police agency would save everyone money on services, especially in smaller communities.

“This separation is very costly to our communities,” Rivera said. “When we share resources, the costs are much lower. And now that we’re not sharing resources, our costs are increasing. We know we didn’t choose this situation, but we’re making the best of it.”

A UPD spokesperson praised the sheriff's office for regaining some law enforcement services and hiring new officers.

Sergeant Aymee Race also said serving her community was now her priority.

“Even if someone calls and doesn’t understand how that boundary has changed, our dispatchers can direct you to the right officer,” Race said. “So, you know, the public isn’t afraid to call if it’s an emergency or not.”