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The launch this coming weekend of a Unified Police Department is a welcomed cost-saving consolidation of a vital service in Salt Lake County.
Essentially, the county sheriff's office is being transformed into a law enforcement cooperative that will provide police services to unincorporated areas of the county as well as the cities of Holladay, Herriman, and Riverton. Officials are convinced the change will save taxpayers money. It should! It streamlines administrative costs and eliminates the need for a number of services that otherwise would be duplicated in each jurisdiction.
KSL still questions the county's approach to paying for the new department. Opting for a hefty fee is a sure way to anger residents in the county's unincorporated areas. It casts a huge blemish over what otherwise is a move that is long overdue. A service as essential as police protection should be funded through ongoing tax revenue streams, not fees to be paid monthly.
Still, KSL welcomes the change and strongly encourages other municipalities throughout the state's most populous county to join the Unified Police Department. There is simply no need for every city to have its own bureaucracy, fleet of vehicles and other essential programs. The sooner they get onboard, the better for everyone throughout the county.
