Nearly 200 citations issued on SLC Main Street this week

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

By Scott Sherman

Published Oct 15, 2010 01:36PM
Updated 6 hours ago Updated Oct 15, 2010 09:36AM

Salt Lake City police have issued 173 tickets and made nine felony arrests since beginning a crackdown on the 300 South block of Main Street on Monday.

After months of receiving complaints from Main Street business owners and visitors, the Salt Lake City Police Department operation is targeting the crowds that congregate each day between 200 and 300 South, often around several concrete planter boxes.

Officers were issuing citations for any and all violations, said Salt Lake City police Lt. Melody Gray.

As of Friday morning, most of the offenses have been for jaywalking, littering, riding bikes or skateboards on the sidewalk, drug and alcohol offenses and resisting arrest, police said.

MY THOUGHTS:

This is in total contrast to Denver's 16 Street Mall in which young people have a place to "hang" along with some homeless individuals intermixed with shoppers, business people, theater goers, diners, and so on. The problem in Salt Lake is there are no public gathering areas that kids can just hang. They are escorted off the Gateway Plaza, harassed by police on Main Street, ticketed for cruising State Street, so where does a young person have to go to meet other kids and just hang around?

 16th Street Mall, Denver, Colorado

I know, I know. Kids that hang together get into some sort of trouble - drugs, booze, smoking, etc. And most all of us adults did the same when we where their age. Many of these kids today are throw away kids who are LGBT, they have no place to go - no home, no family, no job, no church - just left deserted.

If Salt Lake is going to have a vibrant urban life, with people living in the heart of the city, then you have to have plenty of public space for people of all ages to congregate. Squeaky clean Salt Lake is not very inviting to live downtown. Everything must be clean and orderly so it reflects well on the LDS church and their Temple.

What ever happened to liberty? Let the kids be, unless they commit a violent crime, then enforce. But don't keep harassing them so the streets stay nice and clean.