Chief Mike Brown Provides Update on Project Safe Neighborhoods, Releases Crime Data

SALT LAKE CITY — Today, Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown joined Mayor Erin Mendenhall and federal law enforcement partners to provide an update on the “Project Safe Neighborhoods” project in Salt Lake City.

A video copy of the press conference can be obtained by clicking here.

The “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program is a nationwide initiative bringing together law enforcement, prosecutors and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

“Every drug and gun seizure we make through the ‘Project Safe Neighborhoods’ program goes toward keeping our city safer and healthier,” said Chief Mike Brown. “Our officers and our county, state and federal partners are committed to arresting and prosecuting those in our community who are habitually committing gun and drug crimes. I would like to thank the hardworking women and men of the Salt Lake City Police Department who are putting their lives in great danger to arrest these apex criminals.”

Chief Brown was joined by Mayor Mendenhall, U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah Andrea Martinez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bradley Engelbert of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Salt Lake City Field Office Dennis Rice.

“Salt Lakers deserve to feel safe in our City,” said Mayor Mendenhall. “I’m committed to that need, and ‘Project Safe Neighborhoods’ is one of the many creative approaches we are engaged in that has targeted criminal activity – and in this case, targeted activity repeatedly being committed by apex criminals in our community.”

As a result of the “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program in Salt Lake City, the United States Attorney’s Office has charged 207 defendants and law enforcement has seized 49 kilograms of methamphetamine, 221 guns, and more than $220,000 in cash. The average sentence of those convicted as part of this project is 38 months. Sixty-six percent of the defendants charged have been on some form of probation or patrol at the time of their arrest.

“Through the ‘Project Safe Neighborhoods’ program, we will continue to target the crimes that cause the most harm in our community,” said Chief Brown. “No one in law enforcement will tolerate violent crimes in our community and we will be undeterred in our efforts to keep our city safe. Salt Lakers deserve to feel safe in our community and I know the ‘Project Safe Neighborhoods’ program is having a real impact at protecting our community.”

Chief Brown on Tuesday also released the latest year-to-date citywide crime data that shows:

Violent crime is down 2.7%
Property crime is down 16.7%
Overall crime is down 15.5%

For more information on the “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program, click here.

For more information on SLCPD crime data, click here.

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