Operation Rio News Today

Mental health is a problem for Utah's homeless. Many guests have come on the Utah Stories podcast to discuss this.

A new ACLU of Utah report finds a high number of anti-camping citations get issued to the homeless community when time and resources could be better spent on other outreach efforts.

In October 2005, Texas Gov. Rick Perry traveled to the border city of Laredo and announced Operation Linebacker, a new initiative that he said would protect the state’s residents from terrorist groups such as al-Qaida. Without pointing to evidence, Perry said such terrorist groups, along with drug cartels and gangs, were attempting to exploit the U.S.-Mexico border. A press release from the governor’s office said Perry warned that after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, criminal organizations c...

Annual vigil mourns the 53 homeless Utahns who died this year Taylor Stevens © Trent Nelson (Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) Last years Homeless Persons’ Memorial Candlelight Vigil honored 94 men and women who died while experiencing homelessness over the past year. This years event, which honored 53 people who died, was held virtually to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Utah’s homeless advocates and service providers gathered for a virtual vigil on Monday — the l...

Nearly 80% of the money budgeted for Operation Rio Grande was used for policing, jail beds and court costs Bethany Rodgers © Provided by Salt Lake Tribune (Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City Police continued policing the removal of homeless camps for the second day near the Rio Grande area, Dec. 10, 2020. Nearly $8 of every $10 allocated by state and local governments for Operation Rio Grande, a massive safety and social services campaign, were spent on cour...

Violent crime and property crime surge in Salt Lake City, up more than 20% in 2020 Murders and aggravated assaults up. Motor vehicle thefts are peaking too. (Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City police officers working the cleanup of a series of campsites in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. Utahs capital city has seen a spike in violent crimes and crimes against property in 2020. Officials say its tied to a number of factors, including the pandemic, economic stress a...