Salt Lake Metropolis Mayor Erin Mendenhall on Thursday provides an replace on the town’s Undertaking Secure Neighborhoods initiative, whereas making a renewed name for gun house owners to correctly safe their weapons. Ryan Solar, Deseret Information
Salt Lake Metropolis Mayor Erin Mendenhall speaks throughout a Undertaking Secure Neighborhoods neighborhood replace on the Salt Lake Metropolis Public Security Constructing in Salt Lake Metropolis on Thursday. Ryan Solar, Deseret Information
On the heels of a tragic deadly capturing of a teen lady by her brother in Salt Lake Metropolis on Wednesday, metropolis leaders proceed to encourage dad and mom to teach their youngsters about weapons and for gun house owners to correctly retailer their weapons so they do not find yourself within the palms of somebody who should not have them.
On Thursday, Mayor Erin Mendenhall and police Chief Mike Brown stood with a number of federal legislation enforcement companions to offer the general public an replace on the Undertaking Secure Neighborhoods initiative.
Mendenhall mentioned general crime in Salt Lake Metropolis is down 15% year-to-date.
Salt Lake Metropolis Mayor Erin Mendenhall speaks throughout a Undertaking Secure Neighborhoods neighborhood replace on the Salt Lake Metropolis Public Security Constructing in Salt Lake Metropolis on Thursday.
Ryan Solar, Deseret Information
Undertaking Secure Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative began about 20 years in the past by the U.S. Division of Justice. The objective is to convey native and federal police and prosecutors collectively, to get weapons and medicines off metropolis streets. Salt Lake Metropolis reinvigorated its partnership in January 2021, after experiencing a dramatic 20% bounce in violent crime in 2020.
On Thursday, Mendenhall mentioned that since January 2021, almost 300 violent criminals had been arrested because of the Undertaking Secure Neighborhoods initiative, 343 weapons taken off the road and about 10 kilograms of methamphetamine seized.
Brown mentioned his officers seized 12 weapons that had been illegally within the palms of others simply final month. The mayor highlighted a current bust by the police division's bike squad throughout which a number of weapons had been present in a car belonging to an individual restricted from having weapons.
"Most of these weapons don't have any place in any neighborhood," she mentioned.
Regardless of the current successes, Wednesday’s deadly capturing of a teen lady in Salt Lake Metropolis was clearly on the minds of metropolis leaders. Police say a teen boy shot and killed his sister of their house within the 1600 West block of Wright Circle (505 South). The brother was arrested and booked into Salt Lake Juvenile Detention for investigation of homicide.
Brown revealed Thursday that the lady was 13.
"I can not reiterate sufficient, on the heels of what we noticed yesterday — a 13-year-old lady being killed, why it's so necessary that gun house owners guarantee their firearms are safe and kids can not entry both the firearm or ammunition," he mentioned.
Brown couldn't affirm whether or not the brother received ahold of an unsecured firearm, saying that data was a part of an ongoing investigation. He mentioned too many weapons, not correctly secured previously couple of years, have made their technique to the streets.
"That is why, each time I stand at this podium, I inform individuals: 'Safe your weapons.' Be certain they're secure. And the ammunition, as effectively. Discuss to your dad and mom, there must be an schooling portion to this. Discuss to your children, educate them about gun security," the chief mentioned.
Brown recalled an incident, years in the past, when his son was in elementary college and got here throughout a gun mendacity on the bottom of their neighborhood. As a result of the boy had been taught by Brown to not contact an unsecured gun, he left it alone and instructed his father what he discovered. Brown admits he was skeptical at first about what his son had discovered.
"We drove down our road and, he mentioned, 'Proper right here, Dad.' And he went over and mentioned, 'I put some leaves on high of it to ensure no one would discover it.' Nonetheless very skeptical, I brushed the leaves apart and positive sufficient, proper there on the road, in my neighborhood, is a loaded 9mm gun. I could not be prouder that he listened to me," Brown mentioned.
Different audio system Thursday included Dustin Gillespie, assistant particular agent-in-charge of the Salt Lake workplace of the Drug Enforcement Administration, who cautioned that "drug trafficking is a frequent and customary companion to violent crime."
And Brent Beavers, head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives workplace in Denver, which oversees Utah, estimated that, previously yr, his workplace had seen a 500% improve in conversion gadgets that flip semi-auto handguns into absolutely computerized weapons.
"They're harmful not solely to the general public however they're additionally harmful to legislation enforcement," he mentioned. "They're harmful throughout."
Through the bust made by the bicycle squad that the mayor talked about, one of many weapons seized was a handgun that had been modified to make it absolutely computerized.
Mendenhall mentioned a big a part of the main focus of the Undertaking Secure Neighborhoods initiative is discovering individuals who shouldn't have firearms. However the issue will solely proceed to escalate so long as gun house owners do not correctly retailer or lock up their weapons and people weapons find yourself within the palms of people that should not have them, together with youngsters.
"That is about households. That is about children. Youngsters in America right now usually tend to die by capturing than every other reason for demise. That is about our youngsters. Youngsters killing children. Violence from children. That is about households," Mendenhall continued. "This is not simply in regards to the hardened criminals that the DEA and ATF are taking off the road."