FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 28, 2025

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PolicePIO@slc.gov

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SLCPD Arrests Repeat Offender Accused of Drug Distribution at Gateway Mall

SALT LAKE CITY — Officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s (SLCPD) Rio Grande Homeless Resource Center (HRC) squad safely arrested 59-year-old man on multiple drug-related charges following an investigation at the Gateway Mall.

This investigation started around 4:50 p.m. on Monday, January 27, 2025, when SLCPD officers located a person, later identified as Kade Robert Ford, near 152 South Rio Grande Street.

Officers determined Ford had active warrants for his arrest.

During the arrest, officers found Ford in possession of drugs, which later field tested positive for methamphetamine.

Officers also found drug paraphernalia, including three drug pipes.

At the time of his arrest, Ford was on pretrial release for felony charges, according to court documents.

Officers booked Ford into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and three counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

Officers have requested that Ford be held in jail, without bail, because he poses a danger to the community and is a flight risk.

The Salt Lake City Police Department remains committed to disrupting illegal drug trafficking and arresting repeat offenders to help keep Salt Lake City safe.  The Salt Lake City Police Department is committed to helping ensure the safety, security, and well-being of all community members, including residents, businesses, and tourists. The SLCPD works proactively to prevent crime, build trust, and provide dedicated and professional police services in Utah’s capital city.

The SLCPD uses data-driven strategies, directed patrols, targeted law enforcement operations, and other methods to reduce crime.

The SLCPD’s HRC squads are part of the department’s Community Impact Division (CID).

In January 2025, the SLCPD launched CID to address urgent and ongoing challenges such as illegal camping, drug activity, and public nuisance crimes, which impact public safety and the perception of safety across high-priority areas, including the downtown core, commuter corridors, and parks like the Jordan River Trail. The CID will focus on reducing crime, improving and sustaining livability, and strengthening community relationships through a proactive, highly visible, and community-focused policing approach.

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.

The information contained in this news release is based on a preliminary review of the details available to the Salt Lake City Police Department. As the investigation progresses, information may change.

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