The Quail Fire burning in Alpine has scorched just under 2,000 acres as of Wednesday evening and is 5 percent contained, according to the Bureau of Land Management’s Cami Lee. She says it’s not yet clear when the fire will be fully under control.
The 611-acre Rosecrest fire that began Friday in Herriman is now contained. Residents in the roughly 950 homes that were evacuated Friday have returned to their homes. The evacuation order was lifted Saturday evening.
Friday, the father-in-law of missing West Valley City resident Susan Cox Powell will learn the punishment he’ll receive after being convicted of several counts of voyeurism for taking pictures of young girls. Salt Lake Tribune crime reporter Nate Carlisle is covering Steven Powell’s sentencing tomorrow in the state of Washington.
A debate over the protection of women and families from violence is taking shape in Washington. Tuesday, advocates for Utah victims urged leaders in Congress to renew the Violence Against Women Act, which provides funding to help victims of domestic and sexual abuse. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports on what the bickering is all about.
The ACLU of Utah has filed an open-records request to learn more about how law enforcement agencies in the state are using automatic license plate readers. The request was submitted to the Utah Highway Patrol, the Ogden Police Department and the Iron County Sheriff’s Office. John Mejia, Legal Director of ACLU of Utah, says the organization is against the devices in general because of the privacy abuses they could produce.
It’s difficult to tack on “hate crime” to a conviction in Utah, according to law enforcement officials who took part last night in Salt Lake County’s Council on Diversity Affairs forum on hate crimes. KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports on how law enforcement determines what a hate crime is and how they go about prosecuting offenders.
About 80 percent of those who are incarcerated in Utah suffer from some sort of addiction and a third of inmates are sex offenders, state corrections officials told Utah lawmakers yesterday. And Mike Haddon, Deputy Director of the Department of Corrections, says since 1982, the incarceration rate has grown by 408 percent. He says typically, the state contracts with county sheriffs for additional beds, but they anticipate the prison system will occupy all of them by 2015. So what does the state do after that?
Law enforcement officers are getting more serious about enforcing the rules at Parley’s Historic Nature Park. Beginning Monday, Salt Lake County Councilman Steve DeBry, who is also a Unified Police Department Deputy Chief, says the UPD will begin writing tickets to visitors who don’t follow regulations, rather than just issuing a warning.
This week police officers interested in joining the Salt Lake City Police Department’s SWAT team are attending SWAT school. Fifteen officers from seven different agencies are being tested physically, emotionally and academically to see if they have what it takes to join the unit. Tactical Commander Rich Brede says the candidates are doing drills 15 hours a day and they’re not easy.
Salt Lake City leaders are in the midst of discussions about the growing problem of panhandling. Downtown Alliance Executive Director Jason Mathis says several downtown business owners, social service agencies and Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank met earlier this week to discuss panhandling laws, how to help stop it and what services are available to those in need.
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