Displaced and Dispersed: The Aftermath of Operation Rio Grande

Displaced and Dispersed: the aftermath of Operation Rio Grande is our third report discussing the impact of Operation Rio Grande (ORG). This report focuses on understanding Salt Lake County’s housing crisis and the policies influencing law enforcement actions on unsheltered communities since ORG officially ended in 2020.

Since our last ORG report in 2019, we have been concerned that policymakers across Salt Lake County would follow the ORG playbook of a law enforcement-first approach to address displaced, unsheltered communities. We reviewed the enforcement of anti-camping ordinances by the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD), South Salt Lake City Police Department (SSLCPD), and Unified Police Department (UPD) to better understand how unsheltered communities are impacted by the criminal legal system.