Salt Lake City Council confirms new police chief; recognizes Women’s History Month 

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Brian Redd’s appointment as the new chief of the Salt Lake City Police Department received unanimous approval from the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday night, where he was later sworn in after the Council’s meeting ended.

The Council also held a public hearing on the allocation of federal community development grants and recognized March as Women’s History Month.

Chief Redd
The Council unanimously approved the appointment of Brian Redd as the new Salt Lake City Chief of Police, and he was sworn into the position after the meeting ended. Redd steps into the role following the February resignation of Mike Brown, whose tenure faced mounting criticism and state threats to intervene in city law enforcement efforts.

“I don’t take this responsibility lightly,” Redd said during a Council work session earlier that day.

Redd has been the executive director of the Department of Corrections since 2023. Before that, he served for nearly 20 years in the Department of Public Safety, where he rose through the ranks and became director of the State Bureau of Investigation before retiring in 2021.

“I just want you to know that I’m here to serve our officers—to ensure that they’re supported, that they’re taken care of, that we’re listening to them,” Redd said. “If we take care of them, then they’ll take care of the community.”

Several Salt Lake residents took advantage of Redd’s presence at Tuesday’s meeting to speak to problems and experiences they’ve had with the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Scott Green spoke on the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Cameron Ammon Cloward in April 2024. Cloward, who was holding a knife, was shot by four police officers outside a gas station on State Street after he disregarded police orders to stop moving.

“I can't begin to imagine what it must feel like to know that you’ve taken the life of another individual, especially when you consider that person was somebody’s, son, brother, father or friend,” Green said.

He said he befriended Cloward in 2023 and used to live across the hall from him. Cloward loved to play the piano and Green called him “an amazing pianist.”

“I believe that less lethal measures could have been implemented prior to taking Cameron’s life,” Green said. “I believe that no amount of punishing anybody can bring Cameron back, but a change in the way we do things can add more validity to his life.”

Wendy Garvin, executive director and president of Unsheltered Utah, spoke on a “pattern of abusive behavior” in the department. She pointed to police treatment of 47-year-old Jason Lloyd’s dead body last summer. Body camera footage released late last month showed officers laughing while they used a box cutter to slice blisters off Lloyd’s body.

“There is still time to turn this department around,” Gavin said. “To the new chief—you have inherited an agency that has a problematic culture of abusing the unsheltered. I'm asking you to address it.”

Several people also came with the Nomad Alliance to speak. The Nomad Alliance is a non-profit working to combat homelessness.

“I’ve seen the brutal way the policing is towards the homeless people,” Marco Garcia, an advocate with the Alliance, said. “What I’m asking for the new police chief … is compassion, help.”

John Mendes, who said he’s been unhoused for nearly six years, described the poor treatment he’s seen and received.

“Living out here, it’s been extremely rough, we get treated like dirt,” he said. Later, looking at Redd, he said, “you guys [have] got to do a lot better, like a lot better.”

Kseniya Kniazeva, founder and president of the Nomad Alliance, criticized the city’s criminalization of public camping.

“It is cheaper to house people than to jail them,” she said.

Following these comments, Councilmember Dan Dugan took a moment to thank those who spoke.

“I really appreciate that you came here to tell us your stories and your concerns,” he said. “I also need to thank the people who came before you to speak, and also those who will come again after you to speak.”

Dugan emphasized the importance and power of freedom of speech.

“Our democracy is under attack. Our rules of law are under attack, our Constitution and our freedoms are under attack,” he said. “Keep your voices strong, and let's make sure we defend our democracy.”

Community Development
The Council also held a public hearing on the allocation of a series of grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These grants, which would apply to the 2025-2026 fiscal year, are intended to fund community needs like homelessness services.

The allocation of these funds works similarly to the city’s Capital Improvement Plan. Local organizations request funding, and then the Community Development and Capital Improvement Program Advisory Board (CDCIP) and Mayor recommend how much funding applicants should get.

This year, the grants amount to around $7.8 million.

Mary Calhoon, development director for First Step House, thanked the Council for the funding recommended for the organization. But, she also asked the Council to reconsider the lack of funding for First Step’s employment support and peer support services. She said these have both been annually funded since 2019.

“Without funding from Salt Lake City, next year, we're facing probably laying off staff and reducing the number of people we can serve in those two programs,” she said.

Roxie Harshbarger, program manager at the International Rescue Committee, also spoke. She discussed the organization’s services and English learner program.

“This is a really important intervention for newly-arrived refugees and asylum seekers to succeed in the workforce and to become economically self-sufficient,” she said. “Otherwise, they're relying on public benefits and rent assistance, which does not last very long after arrival.”

After the hearing closed, Councilmember Alejandro Puy took a moment to speak.

“It’s always amazing to see this room full of people and people that are working so hard in the trenches, right in the community, helping so many of our neighbors, so many people, that sometimes we don't see,” he said.

He also emphasized the importance of maintaining federal funding for these programs.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing some of these funds threatened,” he said. “I want to make sure that you keep your eyes open and your ears sharpened to ensure that our cities, your organizations, keep this funding flowing.”

Women’s History Month
The Council also adopted a joint ceremonial resolution with Mayor Erin Mendenhall recognizing March as Women’s History Month in Salt Lake City.

“Salt Lake City acknowledges the invaluable role that women have played in shaping the cultural, economic and social fabric of our community, contributing to its growth, diversity and resilience," Councilmember Sarah Young read from the resolution.

The resolution also recognized the work of the Utah League of Women Voters, which was founded more than 100 years ago.

“The League of Women Voters has been a vital part of women's political power for over 100 years, from the historic days of suffragists to the election of the first female Vice President, continuing to empower women and ensure their voices are heard in the political process,” Young read.

City Weekly contributor Katharine Biele, president of the League, accepted the resolution after its adoption.

“We're up at the legislature, fighting for you. We're fighting for a return to democracy, empowering voters and believing in the city and the state,” Biele said. “Thank you so much, and we appreciate this.”