PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT

August 3, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact Information: PolicePRUnit@slcgov.com

Media Request Form: https://police.slc.gov/mediarequest/

SLCPD Releases Response Times for July 2023

SALT LAKE CITY — Today, the Salt Lake City Police Department released response time data for July 2023, which showed the department’s overall average response time improved 15-minutes and 30-seconds when compared to July 2022.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the outstanding work our police officers have been doing, showing remarkable response times despite the high volume and complexities of calls for service they handle,” said Chief Mike Brown. “While we recognize the importance of response times and crime reduction, it is equally important to acknowledge and celebrate the professionalism and compassion displayed by our dedicated officers. Their commitment to serving our community with empathy makes a lasting impact on the lives they touch, and I am truly grateful for their dedication.”

Response times to calls for service is a metric the Salt Lake City Police Department is constantly striving to improve.

A police department’s response time can be calculated two ways – the cumulative response time and the actual drive-time response after the first available officer is dispatched to a scene. The cumulative response time includes the time a person spends on the phone with 9-1-1, call processing time, dispatch time and an officer’s drive to the scene.

Response times vary across the country and are dependent on many complex factors that are distinctive to each jurisdiction.

In July 2023, the SLCPD’s average response times were as follows (formatted as MM:SS):

•        Priority 1 – 10:22, an improvement of 01:05 from July 2022.

•        Priority 2 – 13:50, an improvement of 04:11 from July 2022.

•        Priority 3 – 32:49, an improvement of 25:16 from July 2022.

The combined overall average response time, which includes all Priority 1-3 responses, for July 2023 was 23:09, an improvement of 15:30 from July 2022.

Overall response times have dropped to 2019 levels despite staffing challenges and a significant increase in calls for service. As of August 3, 2023, the Salt Lake City Police Department has 42 vacant positions for police officers.

Operationally, the Salt Lake City Police Department is down approximately 22%, which includes the 42 vacant positions, number of officers currently in training and officers on some sort of leave, including military and family leave. The Salt Lake City Police Department continues to work with the Mayor and City Council to expand recruitment, retention and increase its authorized staffing level.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is also working with SLC911 and other criminal justice stakeholders to expand call diversion and online reporting.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is a transparent law enforcement agency. On the Salt Lake City Police Department’s website, the department provides monthly updates to the cumulative response time.

In October 2022, 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 Crime Control Plan include expanding recruitment and hiring efforts, developing a violent criminal apprehension team, implementing the Community Response Team, expanding the department’s call diversion program and its online reporting capabilities.

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