During a recent city council meeting, the importance of recognizing American Indian history month was highlighted by the council's first American Indian member, who emphasized the critical issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The council member called for greater awareness and action regarding this ongoing crisis, urging community members to share information and support efforts to address the violence affecting Indigenous women.

The meeting also featured a biannual report from Jody Fate, a victim services advocate with the South Salt Lake Police Department. She announced the addition of a new advocate to the team and provided updates on the department's efforts under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant. In the first quarter of the grant cycle, victim advocates served 693 clients, with a significant portion of cases related to domestic violence.

Fate noted that October was domestic violence awareness month, during which the department engaged in various initiatives, including wearing purple shirts to symbolize support for domestic violence victims. The department also implemented a new lethality assessment app, which allows officers to assess the risk of domestic violence victims in real-time. This initiative, mandated by the state in July 2023, has already seen over 13,000 assessments submitted, with a concerning 63% indicating high risk for victims.

The meeting concluded with appreciation for the efforts of the victim services team and a recognition of their creative engagement strategies, including a Halloween-themed event to raise awareness about domestic violence.