Utah State Legislature taking action to stop gang violence

SALT LAKE COUNTY — From one shooting in downtown Salt Lake City on Aug. 10 to another at the Mt. Olympus trailhead on Aug. 3, there have been several gang-related incidents across Salt Lake County recently. Much of it is being carried out by minors, according to Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

“It’s an everyday thing that we’re dealing with nonstop,” Rivera said. “We’re dealing with a lot of juveniles who are being recruited by adults.”

During a Utah House subcommittee meeting Monday morning, Rep. Ryan Wilcox discussed a new bill that would hold these adults accountable.

“We all make bad choices, especially when we’re children, when we’re kids, and trying to go through that part of life, and in order to gain acceptance, either into an organization or frankly, just to make friends, sometimes kids are really susceptible to these suggestions and sometimes direct orders by people that they look up to,” he said.

The rise in gang violence, as well as more sophisticated crimes like theft rings, is something that Rivera believes all Utahns should be concerned about.

“We all live here, but none of us can predict when that’s going to come to our door or when it’s going to come to our car in the parking lot or our business,” he said.

Sheriff Rivera hopes this bill will keep more kids out of trouble and make our communities safer.

“We can start saying that people are being held accountable for recruiting these young kids into gang violence, and now they’re being held accountable, maybe that will prevent some of these kids from falling into that recruitment area,” she said.

Wilcox plans to introduce this bill during the 2025 legislative session.