Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard will propose to merge the investigation forces of the sheriff's office and police departments in the Salt Lake Valley.
Kennard told the Board of Governors of the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday he has drafted a letter proposing that the departments join forces with the county's investigation unit.In a combined investigative unit, experienced officers would investigate crime scenes, which would enhance prosecution efforts and save money.
"It's just getting across to the people that it's better for the citizens," Kennard said.
Kennard acknowledges he faces political resistance in making the request. When he took office in January, his dream was to create a metropolitan police force in Salt Lake County.
"I still believe in that dream, although lately I've had some reality shaking if you will," Kennard said. "Rather than eat the whole elephant, I'm going to take a little piece of it."
Kennard reported that Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City law enforcement officials are merging their crime labs, which should be completed by the beginning of 1993. Kennard also has invited the state to combine its lab with the county-city venture.
"We'll have a crime lab second to none in the western United States," he said.
Kennard said law enforcement officials are still awaiting forensic test results on evidence collected in the slayings of a West Jordan mother and her three children last year.
Margaret Kastanis and her children, ages 6, 9 and 11, were found slashed and bludgeoned to death in their home on Nov. 17. The husband and father, Sam Kastanis, was arrested but later released by police. No charges have been filed.
Kennard said much of the evidence was processed out of state because Utah's crime labs did not have the capability to analyze the material collected at the crime scene.
"We are a big-time state and a big-time county. Why don't we have the tools to do our job?" Kennard said.
Kennard said he is making slow progress toward his goal of a metropolitan police agency.
For example, the sheriff's office has rejoined the Metro Narcotics Strike Force. "We had undercover cops buying from undercover cops. Stupid!" Kennard said. "You say `How can that happen?' It happened because we weren't communicating."
The sheriff said he also wants to shore up communications among law enforcement agencies in the county. Agencies in the county share no single police radio frequency.
While he does not advocate a single communication center, Kennard said law enforcement officials must be able to communicate with one another in the event of an earthquake, flood or other disaster.