In response to rising community concerns, the Salt Lake City Police Department's Liberty Patrol Division Homeless Resource Center (HRC) Squad executed a drug interdiction and safety operation in Jefferson Park, located in the Ballpark neighborhood. Police Chief Mike Brown emphasized the importance of maintaining lawful and secure public spaces. "Our neighbors deserve safe and accessible parks for everyone," Brown declared, commenting on the necessary balance between accessibility and law enforcement. "While accessibility is essential, it doesn’t allow, and we will not tolerate, illegal activity in our parks," Brown said, as per SLCPD, appreciative of the local support in addressing crime in the area.
The operation took place on August 30, following an upswing in drug-related activities, especially during high-profile events at the nearby baseball stadium. Upon noticing that drug traffickers would mesh within the crowds to evade police detection, HRC officers adapted their tactics specifically for Jefferson Park. Resulting from the operation was the arrest of Gary McCamey, aged 63, for unlawfully lingering in a protected area as a registered sex offender and possession of open alcohol containers. When executing the arrest, officers uncovered the open containers on him.
McCamey was subsequently booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail, and as per the department, charges are mere allegations until proven in court. The department also highlighted that the Utah Code significantly restricts the release of jail booking photos, holding the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office as the custodian of such records. Thus, images are generally only distributed post-conviction or under circumstances involving fugitives or threats to public safety.
The HRC Squads play a significant role in bolstering security and improving conditions for the homeless and the broader community near the Gail Miller Resource Center and the Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center. Each center comprises a squad of one SLCPD sergeant and five officers who respond to calls, provide assistance, and aim to foster a positive connection between the unsheltered population and law enforcement, according to SLCPD. These squads, introduced on July 9, 2023, are a state-funded initiative to enforce the law while concurrently showing compassion and providing essential services to the unsheltered, such as healthcare, mental health support, and substance abuse treatment.
