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. Utah's capital city has seen a spike in violent crimes and crimes against property in 2020. Officials say it's tied to a number of factors, including the pandemic, economic stress and depletion of police resources among other issues. | Updated: 11:13 p.m. After years of trending downward, reports of violent crime and property crime have spiked in Salt Lake City this year — a microcosm of a nationwide trend of rising criminality that could have its roots in the coronavirus pandemic.