In response to significant delays and procedural oversights in a stalking case, Sandy City’s police department has announced new changes and additional training to improve their handling of domestic violence incidents.
Chief Greg Severson addressed the media, stating, “After this case came in, we looked at the process. We determined that we need to make some changes.”
This statement comes after a woman, who wished to be identified only as Azalea, reached out to the Sandy Police for assistance regarding stalking and harassment on May 16. Despite following up on May 21, she did not receive any communication from a detective until June 4, resulting in a two-and-a-half-week delay in response.
The KSL Investigators uncovered that the police response did not align with certain provisions of Utah’s domestic violence law, emphasizing the shortcomings in managing such cases.
Severson admitted the police department’s response was sluggish, stating, “There’s no real way to get around it. We were slow in our response to the case.” He acknowledged that from the initial report taken by an officer to the time a detective managed to contact the victim, the intervals were excessively lengthy.
The delay was compounded by the fact that the detective assigned to Azalea’s case was attending a training session. To rectify this, Severson clarified that the department is changing their protocol to prevent the assignment of cases to detectives who are unavailable, whether due to training or vacation.
“Regardless if a detective is here or on vacation, that detective or the sergeant will reach out to the victim the day the case is assigned to ensure their safety and address their needs, while also outlining the next steps,” he elaborated.
Additionally, the Sandy Police had previously acknowledged their failure to utilize a lethality assessment during Azalea’s initial report. This assessment is crucial as it helps determine the level of danger a victim might be facing and is mandated by Utah law.
Severson noted that the officer who took the initial report was relatively new and did not recognize the case as being domestic in nature. However, he stressed that this was not an acceptable excuse.
In light of this incident, the entire department underwent lethality assessment training the following week to ensure the proper handling of future cases.
Severson stated, “So, the next week, every officer in this police department received lethality assessment training, so that hopefully we don’t have this issue happen again.”
The case has also brought attention to a lesser-known requirement in Utah’s domestic violence law, which mandates that law enforcement agencies send a copy of the incident report to the appropriate prosecuting attorney within five days after a domestic violence complaint is filed.
Sandy Police had been performing screenings of their domestic violence cases with the city prosecutor’s office, but they lacked a similar arrangement with the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office. This gap has now been addressed, and Severson indicated that many departments may find themselves in similar situations.
“I don’t think we’re alone in that,” he remarked, illuminating a broader issue within the system.
Azalea’s case has drawn comparisons to other tragic incidents in Utah, such as the 2017 shooting death of Memorez Rackley and her child, who were killed by a stalker just days after reaching out to local law enforcement for help.
These haunting memories continue to impact Severson deeply. “I was there that day, and that dead child in the back of that car is burned into my memory and will be burned there forever,” he lamented. “I never want to see that happen again, especially here in Sandy.”
Responding to concerns about the ongoing mishandling of stalking cases, Severson stated, “We respond to 63,000 calls for service a year. We do our absolute best on these cases. Clearly, we didn’t meet the mark on this one.”
Despite acknowledging past mistakes, he assured the public that the department is actively working to improve their processes.
“Even as tough as these things are when they’re brought to our attention, it gives us an opportunity to improve and be better, and that’s what we’re looking to do,” he affirmed.
As the investigation into Azalea’s case continues, Severson confirmed that the department is maintaining daily communication with prosecutors to gather sufficient evidence for potential charges.
This development is part of an ongoing effort to address apparent systemic shortcomings in Utah’s criminal justice system when it comes to protecting victims of domestic violence.
image source from：ksltv
