Salt Lake City police respond to hundreds of calls because of the wind
Sep 8, 2020, 5:43 PM
Photo: Saige Miller
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City police were busy Tuesday, responding to hundreds of calls because of the windstorm blowing through northern Utah.
Detective Greg Wilking says they have been taking a variety of different calls.
“We’ve been responding to downed power lines, downed trees, traffic hazards. [We’re] really trying to secure those areas, make sure that it’s safe for people so the resources that clean it up become available,” said Wilking.
Because thousands of trees are down in the area as well as several power lines, officers make sure intersections are clear and people are kept away from hazards.
That’s why some of their calls have been as support to firefighters and Rocky Mountain Power.
“We’re going to be out as the first responder on scene and make sure traffic is diverted around until those other resources, whether it be fire or the power company, can get out,” Wilking said.
Wilking is also reminding people to treat power outages at intersections like a four-way stop.
He saw several people blowing through those intersections and looking at the damage all around them, instead of the road.
“While you’re driving through the city, looking at the downed trees, pay attention to the road. We don’t want somebody getting hurt as a result of people not paying attention because of what’s going on out there,” Wilking says.
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Hurricane-force winds in Utah close schools, knock power out
