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Residents press council for independent audit and fixes to police complaint system
Summary
Multiple residents at the June 9 meeting accused the American Fork Police Department of misconduct, described alleged wrongful arrests and 'swatting'-type incidents, and called on the council to commission an independent third-party audit while also demanding meaningful complaint-system fixes.
Several residents used the council's public-comment periods on June 9 to press elected officials for independent scrutiny of the American Fork Police Department and to demand improvements to the city's online complaint process.
"Stop shielding the AFPD and initiate a formal independent third party audit," said Alex Sabin, referencing past incidents and urging the council to authorize an outside review. Sabin tied his request to prior cases he said demonstrated institutional protection of officers rather than accountability.
Multiple speakers recounted alleged incidents. Daniel Soka said the police department "went on a crusade" against an individual and accused the police chief of misstating video evidence in public statements; Soka warned upcoming civil suits related to alleged misconduct could cost taxpayers. August Hicks described a case involving an investigator who, while attempting to pursue a civil claim for unpaid collectibles, was allegedly detained, pulled over repeatedly and at one point held at gunpoint; Hicks urged an investigation and possible termination of officers if wrongdoing is found. Greg Hazard said he received apology letters from Chief Paul after two incidents in 2024 and described officer conduct he found deeply troubling.
A separate speaker criticized the online complaint system for the American Fork Police Department, saying it fails to provide confirmation emails, returns users to blank forms when errors occur, and does not produce traceable complaint numbers; the speaker said that lack of a reliable submission record chills constituents' ability to petition government for redress. That commenter asked the council to require the system to email a confirmation with the full text of the complaint and to provide meaningful error messages.
Council members acknowledged the concerns and thanked residents for speaking but did not take formal action on an audit or order a system change during the meeting. City staff distributed letters referenced by speakers, including correspondence from "Chief Paul" and other documents said to be relevant to the cases described.
What happens next: Commenters asked for an independent audit and technical fixes; the council did not vote on either at the June 9 meeting. Any staff direction, scope of review, or formal audit request would need to be placed on a future agenda for formal consideration.
