South Salt Lake mayor orders independent review after FOP survey raises morale concerns

A South Salt Lake resident and the local Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) raised concerns about police leadership and morale this week, and Mayor Sherry Wood said the city will hire an outside agency to conduct an independent review.

The discussion began during public comment when a resident who identified himself as William said he had "no confidence in South Salt Lake Police Department leadership" and warned of a potential "mass exodus" of officers. He added, "I will back my officers up a 100%" and singled out Officer Atkin for repeated positive contacts.

Why it matters: City officials said public safety is a top priority, but they urged caution before taking personnel action based only on an anonymous internal survey. Mayor Wood cited the FOP survey results and said the city needs a methodical, transparent response.

Mayor Sherry Wood told the council that the FOP conducted an anonymous survey of 57 officers addressing job satisfaction, leadership and morale. Wood said she takes the survey "very seriously" but urged a measured response, saying "it would be irresponsible and simply bad policy to take any action based off of an anonymous survey." She said the city is "hiring an outside attorney an outside agency to conduct an independent audit that takes an objective look at the issues raised by the FOP." She also said she had told the FOP her door is open and urged open, transparent communications.

Council members expressed general support for the mayor's approach. Council commentary acknowledged that personnel and morale issues require careful handling; one council member noted experience working in human resources and described such matters as "delicate and sensitive." Several council members praised the rank-and-file officers' service while distinguishing that from concerns about leadership raised by the FOP and members of the public.

The council took no formal personnel action at the meeting. The mayor and council indicated the next step is the independent audit referenced by Wood; the city did not provide a timeline or name of the firm to be retained during the meeting.

Context and next steps: Wood cited a recent community value survey in which nearly 90% of respondents said they feel safe in their neighborhoods. The audit the city plans to hire was described as an independent, external review to examine the concerns raised in the FOP survey; no further details about scope, cost or deadline were provided during the meeting.