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What is it with law enforcement and criminal justice in Utah?
Based on news reports in recent weeks, it would seem things are topsy-turvy - that the system is in disarray. Think about it:
-Inmates, including convicted killers, escape from county jails. County Sheriffs are at odds with state corrections officials over the housing of state inmates.
-Corrections officials lament the shortage of beds in state prisons and worry about crowded conditions. Furthermore, they say they have trouble keeping guards and other staff because of low pay.
-In Salt Lake County, the Sheriff expresses frustration that he can't reopen the Oxbow Jail, while the County's District Attorney claims her prosecutors are overworked - just too many cases.
-The Courts are busy - some say overloaded. Meantime, police officers complain criminals get off far too easy - that the jail door is a revolving door.
-Police in Salt Lake City need to replace their dilapidated headquarters building, yet voters reject a bonding proposal to build a new one.
-Reports also reveal serious concerns about the 9-1-1 emergency calling system, especially in Salt Lake County.
And the list goes on and on.
