SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah says it’s concerned about a police sweep in a troubled Salt Lake City neighborhood near an overcrowded downtown homeless shelter.
The organization said Wednesday Operation Rio Grande appears to be “business as usual” and may not be a long-term fix for poverty and drug-abuse problems.
State and local leaders say they want to clean up the area while caring for the less fortunate. They say the sweep that put 150 officers in the few blocks around the shelter is the beginning of a two-year effort that also includes drug treatment and jobs.
Leaders couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on the ALCU statement.
The sweep comes after a string of string of violent attacks intensified focus on the gentrifying neighborhood near the arena where the NBA’s Utah Jazz play.
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