Salt Lake City council holds advice-and-consent hearing for police chief nominee Brian Bridal

Salt Lake City Council held an advice-and-consent hearing for Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s nominee for police chief, Brian Bridal, during which Bridal described his law-enforcement background and pledged to prioritize officer support, community engagement and training. The council agreed to place Bridal’s nomination on the agenda for an up-or-down vote tonight.

Bridal told the council he has served the past two years as executive director at the Utah Department of Corrections and previously spent about 20 years with the Utah Department of Public Safety, including service as a state trooper and director of the State Bureau of Investigation. “I don’t take this responsibility lightly,” Bridal said. “I’m here to serve our officers, to ensure that they’re supported, that they’re taken care of…we want to create a culture where our officers are heard and listened to.”

Why this matters: The police chief will lead operations as Salt Lake City prepares for large events and continued public-safety challenges downtown and on the West Side, including open-air drug activity and homelessness-related quality-of-life issues raised by council members. Council members repeatedly pressed Bridal on training, recruitment and how he would balance accountability with restorative justice approaches.

Councilmembers described the department as hardworking and well trained but said trust and transparency remain central. A councilmember who identified as a West Side resident said on the public record that she could not find anyone who spoke ill of Bridal and urged him to address policing in “complex communities” with proximity and compassion. Councilmember Luz Escamilla Lopez Chavez asked, “Why do you want to be the police chief for every Salt Laker?” and pressed Bridal on community engagement and alternative-response models.

Bridal emphasized proximity — getting to know communities and officers — and said the department must prioritize public safety while partnering with social-service agencies to address root causes. “We have to prioritize public safety first, and then we work on the restorative part,” he said, describing inmate-led therapeutic work he observed in corrections settings and stressing accountability.

On training and retention, Bridal told the council he would evaluate existing programs and invest in both the technical and “soft” skills supervisors and officers need. He said competitive compensation and attention to officer wellness, family supports and leadership development would be central to recruitment and retention. “If we take care of our officers, I think we’ll have people stay at the Salt Lake City Police Department,” Bridal said.

Councilmembers also asked about managing mass gatherings tied to major events downtown. Bridal said the department will coordinate with businesses and community partners to ensure public safety during large events coming to the city.

No formal confirmation vote occurred during the hearing. Chair of the council said Bridal’s name would be placed on the council agenda for an up-or-down vote tonight.

The hearing drew multiple council questions spanning transparency, civil-rights protections, restorative justice, alternative response models and the department’s culture. Bridal repeatedly offered to be available to council and community members and emphasized a commitment to transparent review and correction where the department falls short.