Last year, the state Legislative Audit Subcommittee requested performance audits of the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office, and due to operational ties, audits of the Salt Lake City Police Department, Salt Lake County Jail and Salt Lake County’s Criminal Justice System were also performed.
The findings uncovered a countywide law enforcement ecosystem facing severe structural stress.
The report of the criminal justice system “found fragmented coordination among Salt Lake County’s independently elected leaders, leading to accountability gaps for repeat criminal offenders,” and provided ”recommendations for the Legislature to consider to improve oversight, coordination and strategies to reduce recidivism while maintaining accountability.”
Here is a review of key findings in each performance review:
Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office
The audit of Salt Lake County’s District Attorney’s office noted that, though progress has been made, a number of inconsistencies were found, which have led to “inconsistencies and confusion” in screening and filings.
A detailed list of disparities that need improvement was identified, and the following recommendations were given:
- Due to the DA’s office’s lack of adequate policies to guide office discretion, the report advised that staff be regularly updated on new policies.
- The office should regularly review a sampling of screening decisions to ensure filings and declarations are consistent with the DA’s policy standards.
- To prioritize public safety and ensure individuals are placed in the appropriate alternative-to-incarceration programs, the office should clearly define admission criteria.
- Following an individual’s admission to an alternative-to-incarceration program, the office should track program participants for accountability and transparency.
The auditor general’s office also warned that all the information they requested was not provided, specifically, the county’s alternative-to-incarceration programs, thereby affecting the report’s usefulness and efficiency.
“The Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office can take the lead in addressing calls for greater transparency within prosecutors’ offices,” per the report. “The office has primary responsibility for prosecuting criminal cases within its jurisdiction. It also plays a key role in advancing the goals of the criminal justice system, including holding offenders accountable, reducing recidivism, and improving public safety.”
Salt Lake County Jail
The review of the jail system, which the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office has statutory authority over, painted a rather bleak picture.
Rather than expand the prison in the last 25 years, the solution has been to release inmates prematurely due to overcrowding.
The jail has long been overcrowded, even before the current sheriff, Rosie Rivera, was elected to it in 2017. Records show that since 2007, more than 100,000 overcrowding releases have been documented, and inmates released this year due to overcrowding spent an average of 12 hours in jail.
The audit noted that inmates released due to overcrowding are statistically more likely to reoffend and are getting rearrested on new criminal charges at a higher rate each year. In 2025, recidivism within 90 days of an overcrowding release was at 38.4%.
Individuals released from jail due to overcrowding are also far more likely to miss court.
“With a growing population and two aging facilities that are functionally full, Salt Lake County needs to increase capacity,” and revise its jail population forecast utilizing HB312, per the audit report. “County leaders indicate they will try another voter referendum in 2026 to address jail capacity.”
Salt Lake City Police Department
The findings of the audit of the Salt Lake City Police Department were in line with other reports, showing an organization facing significant structural challenges.
The audit found that many of the department’s struggles stemmed from previous leadership that had transitioned out during the audit.
According to the review, “Administrative leave was misused, the previous chief appears to have struggled to make decisions and relied heavily on civilian staff for leadership, and internal oversight mechanisms were diminished under the previous administration.”
Per the audit review, Department morale was directly impacted.
A survey conducted by the audit asked respondents to react to the following statement: “Currently, employee morale is high in my organization.”
The results were bleak.
The SLCPD’s results were the lowest the Office of the Legislative Auditor General had ever recorded. Nearly 77% of respondents across the four police departments in Salt Lake County disagreed that morale was high.
Chief of Police Mike Brown resigned from his post last February, being replaced by Chief Brian Redd. The audit noted that many of the findings were specific to Brown’s leadership.
“Executive leadership of the SLCPD should take an active role in setting, managing, and revising department policy on a continual basis,” the report recommended. “This process should include ensuring policies are updated promptly and staff are held accountable for understanding them.”