In the latest episode of House Rules, Rep. Tyler Clancy sits down with Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd to talk about what it really takes to restore safety, accountability, and order to Utah’s capital city. Having served as Executive Director of the Utah Department of Corrections and helped lead Operation Rio Grande during his time at the Department of Public Safety, Chief Redd brings decades of experience to one of the toughest jobs in law enforcement.
Chief Redd doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges. “The streets are a death sentence,” he said. “It’s death row.”
In his first 100 days on the job, his priorities have been clear: get fully staffed, rebuild morale, tackle open-air drug markets, and end unsanctioned camping in public spaces like the Salt Lake City Library and the Jordan River Trail.
“The Legislature stands with you,” Clancy said. “Not just in Salt Lake City, but across the state. We can’t allow public spaces to be taken over by addiction and crime.” Since 2022, the Utah Legislature has invested more than $250 million to address homelessness and deeply affordable housing.
This session, the Legislature passed several bills to strengthen enforcement, improve coordination, and enhance treatment:
- H.B. 329 – Homeless Services Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Tyler Clancy, establishes a zero-tolerance policy for drug possession, use, or distribution in homeless shelters.
- H.B. 199 – Substance Use Treatment and Enforcement, sponsored by Rep. Tyler Clancy, strengthens criminal and civil tools to address nuisance and drug-involved properties improving public safety for law abiding residents.
- H.B. 465 – Public Safety Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider, requires Salt Lake City to enter an agreement with the Department of Public Safety to coordinate efforts to improve public safety and set accountability metrics.
Chief Redd said the lack of adequate jail space in Salt Lake County is leading to a revolving door of street arrests that fails Utahns: “They get released. They go to warrant. They’re back on the street. We just build this criminal history. We need to break that cycle.”
Rep. Clancy responded, “We’ve heard that from officers too. They’re arresting people, and hours later, those same individuals are back using in public. That’s not justice, and it’s not compassion either.”
On interagency collaboration, Redd emphasized, “We had a particular area. It was state property. The state brought in ‘No Trespassing’ signs and fencing. That was really helpful for our residents.”
Looking ahead, he also notes long-term planning is underway. “We need to prepare the Salt Lake City Police Department for the Olympics in 2034.”To those who doubt real change is possible, Redd is clear. “To the skeptics, I would say come and get involved. These are people’s lives.”
“We just never give up,” Chief Redd says. “We just keep working and we get smarter and we work harder.”
What are Salt Lake City’s top public safety challenges?
Chief Redd points to staffing shortages, the spread of fentanyl and meth, and the overlap of crime, addiction, and homelessness.
How is the Salt Lake City addressing public safety issues?
Salt Lake City is hiring more officers, improving morale, and expanding crisis response efforts with social workers and treatment resources.
What role does enforcement play in recovery?
Enforcement is a starting point, not the end. Redd explains that jail can be a point of intervention where people can access services and stabilize.
How has the Utah Legislature supported public safety in Salt Lake City?
Bills passed in 2025 include H.B. 329 (zero tolerance policy for drugs in homeless shelters), H.B. 199 (tools to address nuisance properties), and H.B. 465 (state-local cooperation to improve public safety in Salt Lake City).
What does Salt Lake City Policy Chief Brian Redd want Utahns to know?
That recovery takes persistence, coordination, and compassion. “We just never give up,” Chief Redd says. “We just keep working and we get smarter and we work harder.”