Salt Lake City’s Public Safety Plan could be better with support from state Legislature, mayor says
Jul 16, 2025, 1:59 PM | Updated: Jul 17, 2025, 10:13 am
Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday. Salt Lake City's Open Streets returns this weekend and every Friday and Saturday this month. (Carter Williams, KSL.com)
(Carter Williams, KSL.com)
SALT LAKE CITY — It’s been six months since Salt Lake City unveiled a new Public Safety Plan, comprised of 50 actions and recommendations aimed at improving the safety and lifestyle of Salt Lakers.
Public Safety Plan progress
Mayor Erin Mendenhall said 12 of the 27 outlined public safety actions are complete and 15 are underway. She credits the community-based approach they’ve adopted, which consists of listening to residents who experience the issues firsthand, and acting with urgency.
Mendenhall attributes police officers and other teams with helping clean the city up. That includes improving street lighting, park security and investing in affordable housing.
A push for legislative support
The other 23 systemic recommendations—developed from feedback by Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz—are proving more difficult to achieve. Mendenhall said it’s because they need more funding, and support, from the state.
“This crisis demands sustainable long-term funding from the state to meet the scale of this challenge in the fastest growing state in this nation,” Mendenhall said.
According to Mendenhall, the Legislature failed to support multiple policy changes that could extend the safety plan and sustain it into the future.
“The city advocated for several clear policy changes that would have better advanced this plan, but many of them failed to pass through the Legislature,” Mendenhall said. “I urge lawmakers to give those measures more serious consideration moving forward.”
She says what Salt Lake City really needs is city, county and state support to help achieve the capitol city’s goals.
“Salt Lake City cannot act alone for the public safety plan to be effective,” Mendenhall said. “Each level of government, each individual function, must hold one another accountable or the system will remain fragmented and inefficient.”
The plan and six-month update are available on the city’s website.
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