However, cost-cutting measures during the lean years between 2002 and 2005 created a revolving door in this community where several police officers went elsewhere for better pay - records obtained from the city indicate an exit of 26 - and the number of officer positions dropped from 67 in 2001 to 57 in 2005.

Tuesday evening, South Salt Lake Police Chief Beau Babka made the case to City Council as to why his men and women in uniform should be paid as much as their average counterparts in adjacent communities, which would require an 80 percent increase in the city's property tax rate this November.

"The assets - the people of this department - you need to fund their salaries and get them to average," Babka said. "If we don't do that, we'll hit some really hard times. I look at the talent that's gone - I don't want to be the training ground for the rest of the valley."

Babka described South Salt Lake as an urban hot spot with unique challenges.

With plenty of low-cost multifamily housing, it serves as a magnet for criminal offenders trying to get back on their feet.

Positioned in the center of the valley between Salt Lake City to the north and Murray to the south, it also logs some hefty traffic counts each day.

An advocate of community policing, Babka spoke of proactive ways to reduce crime through building partnerships throughout the city.

"We've been through this cycle before," Babka said, recalling similar circumstances when he came before City Council in 1995, asking members to embrace a new philosophy. "I feel I know the keys to success, keys to motivating people, keys to creating a stable work force."

In 2000, South Salt Lake's crime rate was 84.9 per 1,000 residents - but by 2002, community policing efforts implemented by Babka and former Police Chief Bob Gray, now the city's mayor, were halted - and the crime rate shot up.

Mayor Gray's proposed 2006-07 budget recommended a modest 25 percent tax increase, which would give all employees a possible 6 percent to 7 percent pay increase but would still leave some public safety positions funded well below par compared with neighboring cities.

Council members have discussed boosting the city's tax rates by as much as 190 percent to fund sorely needed capital-improvement projects as well as bring employee wages up to snuff.

Adding police officers also surfaced during Tuesday's discussion.

"My personal feeling is this is not just a compensation issue. Staffing plays a part as well," Councilman John Weaver said. "I'd rather err going a little bit over the top to take care of our growth in the next three to five years."

Councilman Shane Siwik suggested a different approach.

"Let's tackle the housing problem. If we really want to reduce crime, let's buy these apartment buildings as they come up for sale, tear them down and build single-family homes in their place," Siwik said.

Council Chairman Bill Anderson recommended attacking the crime problem by finding ways to mend the city's worn social fabric.

"Social displacement is our chief challenge," Anderson said.

City Attorney Dave Carlson, who came on board five years ago, gave his perspective of South Salt Lake's public safety challenges.

"There have been a lot of cuts in personnel, and it's had an impact," Carlson said. "If you can't pay them a competitive wage, there are other opportunities out there and we'll remain a training ground, never getting up to firing on all cylinders."

cmckitrick@sltrib.com

Crime stats

Crimes per 1,000 residents in 2004:

l South Salt Lake - 125.7

l Salt Lake City - 97.9

l Murray - 90.5

l Midvale - 66.8

l West Valley City - 65.2

Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification