A new report released by Salt Lake City police on Wednesday claims gang activity in the city is not on the rise.

The 40-page document titled "2008 Report to the Community" highlights work done in Police Department divisions such as homicide, robbery, domestic violence and vice.

Among the report's findings: gang activity in Salt Lake City hasn't seen a significant increase, despite several high profile gang-related murders in 2008, including the death of 7-year-old Maria Menchaca, who was killed in front of her Glendale home in July 2008 by a bullet meant for her older cousin.

"Gangs have been on the minds of many along the Wasatch Front. However distressing these individual cases may be, the Salt Lake City Police Department does not believe gang-involved crime is on the rise," the report states.

Salt Lake City's gang unit includes three sergeants, 12 suppression detectives and four investigators.

The city recorded 1,136 gang-related offenses in 2008 --up from 760 such offenses a year earlier, according to the report. The 2008 number is lower than 2004, however, when the city recorded 1,268 gang-related offenses.

The report cites the creation of a Intervention and Community Action Team (ICAT), which will pair police officers with school or community groups, such as the anti-gang Colors of Success program, to confront families and steer them toward getting their children out of gangs and into positive activities.

The report is a initiative meant to better inform the community of the Police Department's progress, Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank said. He hopes the report will help Salt Lake City residents better understand their public safety department.

"The goal is to provide a window on the day-to-day efforts and results of the organization," Burbank said in a news release.

"While I know the high-quality work of the nearly 600 men and women who work here, I hope the public will come to know it better through what will now be an annual report to the community."

To view the complete report, visit www.slcpd.com.