Salt Lake City is looking to expand police recruitment, even as crime rates trend downward

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Police Chief Mike Brown announced new efforts to fight crime in the capital on Wednesday.

They said overall crime is falling, but the city’s police force is currently 55 short of officers.

In order to fill these places, Mendenhall said they will offer more incentives.

One is a $ 2,500 bonus to current officers when they can recruit colleagues from other departments for Salt Lake City. They’re also giving $ 2,500 to new hires, but they are both required to sign a three-year loyalty agreement.

Mendenhall said the idea came from talking to the local police union. She said the city is trying to listen to law enforcement agencies and show them their support.

“I would like to say a greeting and a heartfelt thank you to the Salt Lake City Police Department who keep coming to this capital, facing challenges like no other city in this state,” said Mendenhall. “I am encouraged by the people who come here and want to join our forces.”

The updated plan also includes programs that redirect certain service calls from the police to a civil reaction force.

Brown said it would take low priority calls from their plates.

“We need our officers back,” he said. “But there are also some things that we should really look at and say, ‘Is this really the best thing a cop can do and could it be done with another group or resource?'”

Brown said the city is trying to fill all positions by next June.