Republican, Democrat pitch plan for new fund to help solve violent crime in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A bipartisan proposal to help police solve violent crimes was unveiled Tuesday at the Utah Legislature.

HB137 would create the Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund, from which law enforcement agencies across the state could be awarded grants to help solve violent crimes. Grants would be administered by the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and vary based on the needs of different agencies.

 

Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, a former police detective, is the bill sponsor. He’s asking the Legislature for $250,000 for the fund, which would also allow private donations. Clancy said each violent crime in the state is not just a number, but also represents a person.

“That is a human being who deserves expertise and who deserves dogged pursuit of justice, and that is what we are trying to do today,” Clancy said.

“Too many people are still waiting for answers in cases that have gone cold,” added Rep. Verona Mauga, D-West Valley City. “That kind of uncertainty is incredibly painful. It doesn’t end when the headlines fade. Families live with unanswered questions for years, sometimes decades.”

The bill, Mauga added, “will give law enforcement the tools to prioritize those cases and hopefully bring some long overdue closure for families.”

So far, HB137 has only been introduced and has yet to receive a committee hearing. Also, with lawmakers facing a tight budget this year, the $250,000 request for the fund is not a sure thing, but Clancy said any amount of money would be helpful. He also expects some Utahns to donate to the fund, although he has yet to line up any pledges.

“I’m confident that we will get an investment from the Legislature, but also that there’s going to be individuals who care about the pursuit of justice and they’re going to want to chip in,” Clancy said.

At a news conference on Tuesday, bill proponents noted that just over half of all violent crime in Utah — including homicides, aggravated assaults, robberies and rapes — gets solved, citing FBI data. About 72% of homicides reach a resolution, they said.

Clancy said his proposal aims to increase those rates — and deter people who are thinking of causing harm to someone else.

“When you think about a gang member who’s pulling up to a gas station, who’s ready to pull that trigger, what does he or she think in terms of being caught before they squeeze that trigger and change someone’s life forever?” Clancy asked. “Do they have the certainty that the minute they pull that trigger, they will be caught and they will be held accountable?”

Two people were recently killed and six others were hurt in a shooting at a church parking lot in Salt Lake City. Investigators believe some of those involved had ties to gangs. Clancy speculated that some who witnessed the shooting may be afraid to cooperate for fear of retaliation, which he said underscores the need for violent crimes to be solved quickly.

Ogden Police Chief Jake Sube threw his support behind the bill, saying it would strengthen the investigative side of policing — especially in rural, smaller departments that have fewer resources.
“Importantly, this legislation does not mandate how agencies police,” Sube said. “It does not expand enforcement authority and it doesn’t impose penalties. It respects local control while offering practical ways to invest in investigative capacity.”

Sube said that could include training detectives, supporting witnesses, upgrading investigative technologies and improving the turnaround time on forensic lab results.