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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah law enforcers say they're finding success with their new gang task force. Members say it's smarter way to keep the community safe from gangs.
The Valley Police Alliance Safe Streets Task Force is designed to share resources between local, state and federal agencies. Members of the force say the gang situation in Utah is so unique it only makes sense to combine forces.
"My 16 officers can go anywhere in this valley and work to solve gang crime that's impacting everybody, not just Salt Lake City specific. And in turn we bring in the agencies from other areas," said Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank.
The task force formed last fall and already this year, it reports making 158 arrests, responding to nearly 225 gang-related calls and working on 350 cases.
Through the whole valley, gang members are able to go from one area to another. There's no limits. There's no boundaries for these gang members.
–Detective Lorenzo Leulaui
Task force members say Utah's gang situation does not mirror gangs from other parts of the country. For example, people typically associate gangs with certain cities and territories, but that's not the case here in Utah.
"Through the whole valley, gang members are able to go from one area to another," said Detective Lorenzo Leulaui, with the Valley Police Alliance. "There's no limits. There's no boundaries for these gang members."
That's really the point of the task force: It basically eliminates boundaries and, like Burbank said, it helps law enforcement address some of the challenges created in the Utah gang community. For example, Burbank says Utah gangs are multi-cultural and rival gangs can live in the same neighborhood, which can create added problems.
Task force members say many hands make light work, and so pooling resources and getting information from one agency to another should be easier.
U.S. Attorney Carlie Christensen says gang crimes involve so many other criminal facets. "(They) typically involve a large number of defendants, and with a large number of defendants come a large number of defense attorneys. So you can have more motions, you can have more evidentiary issues."
As officers and agents work different cases, they'll be able to know the entire background of gang members and won't just be limited to their respective jurisdictions.
In other words, Christensen says it makes economic sense to combine forces, so that in the end, their main goal is to keep Utahns safe.
Thirty-six local, state and federal officers and agents serve on the task force, along the Wasatch Front and Summit County. Agencies in the task force include police departments from West Jordan, Sandy, West Valley, Salt Lake City, South Jordan, Draper, Summit County Sheriff's Office, the Utah Department of Public Safety, the Utah Department of Corrections, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the FBI. The task force also collaborates with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Utah.
Email: niyamba@ksl.com
