PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT

November 18, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact Information: PolicePRUnit@slcgov.com

SLCPD Recover Large Amount of Illegal Drugs as Part of Focus Area Policing

SALT LAKE CITY — Recently, while patrolling a “focus area,” graveyard officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department arrested a 22-year-old man accused of possessing a distributable amount of illegal drugs.

This investigation started at 1:08 a.m. on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, when a SLCPD officer was near 1000 West North Temple Street as part of the department’s Stratified Policing approach to proactively reduce crime.

An officer stopped a car for an insurance violation.

Officers could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the car while speaking with the driver, later identified as Raymundo Romero.

Through the investigation, it is believed Romero never obtained a driver license.

During the impound process, officers recovered marijuana and a distributable amount of suspected methamphetamine.

Officers safely took Romero into custody and booked him into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Marijuana, No Valid Driver License, Operating a Vehicle without Insurance.

“These types of drug seizures disrupt street-level dealing and help keep those who prey on people addicted to drugs off of our streets,” said Chief Mike Brown. “Day and night, our officers work around the clock to help keep our community safe and hold people accountable when they break the law.”

In October 2022, the SLCPD Chief Mike Brown and Mayor Erin Mendenhall released an update to the SLCPD  Crime Control Plan to lower crime, improve response times, fill authorized staffing levels for sworn positions and to continue building community relationships.

The strategies outlined in the Revised Crime Control Plan include expanding recruitment and hiring efforts, developing a violent criminal apprehension team, implementing the Police Civilian Response Team, expanding the department’s call diversion program and its online reporting capabilities.

No additional information on this case is being released at this time.

Charges are only allegations, and every arrested person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is not the custodian of record for jail booking photos. Utah Code 17-22-30 mostly prohibits the release of jail booking photos. Generally, a jail booking photo can only be released by the custodian of record after a conviction or when law enforcement determines the person is a fugitive or an imminent threat to a person or public safety. In Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office is the custodian of record for jail booking photos.

A photo of the suspected methamphetamine is being released.

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