Legislative auditors flag leadership, capacity and documentation problems across Salt Lake public safety system

Brian Dean and the Legislative Auditor General’s Office presented a suite of audits to a legislative subcommittee that together portray weaknesses across Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County public‑safety operations.

The audit of the Salt Lake City Police Department found ‘‘poor leadership practices’’ under the prior administration that auditors say materially damaged culture and morale. The report says administrative leave was used inconsistently and often for long durations — including one instance of 17 straight months — and that civilian advisers, rather than sworn command, sometimes directed core functions. Auditors reported that a cultural survey showed 77% of respondents disagreed morale was high and that 282 officers left the department across a multi‑year period. The audit also flagged time‑card falsification tied to homeless‑related overtime shifts and recommended restoring internal oversight and a strategic plan.

Chief Brian Red, who took over after the previous chief left, acknowledged the findings and outlined corrective steps: rebranding internal affairs as a professional‑standards function, moving policy staff under…