UPD officers sworn in as part of Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Jul 2, 2024, 11:00 AM
Dozens of UPD officers were sworn in as deputies in the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, however, their duties will remain roughly the same. (Deseret News)
(Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Dozens of Unified Police officers were sworn in as deputies in the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. However, many of them will have the same responsibilities as before.
A law passed in 2023 split the sheriff’s office and UPD.
“We didn’t choose to do the split but we support the legislature once they made that decision,” Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said. “We just moved forward in trying to make it happen as quickly and smoothly as we could.”
Rivera also said the biggest change community members will see is more deputies in green and tan.
The sheriff’s office will take over patrols of canyons, public lands and unincorporated parts of the county.
Rivera was initially unsure about the change.
“I do believe that having the sheriff oversee the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office was a good decision made by the legislature,” she said. “There will be no more questions as to what fairness is to the rest of the community.”
Rivera said it is more expensive for the sheriff’s office since there are fewer departments sharing resources and costs. However, she didn’t have a specific number. She also said they are focused on making sure no one loses service.
