The revelation that explicit photos of Lauren McCluskey were saved on the personal phone of a police officer, who later bragged about getting to look at them whenever he wanted, is beyond outrageous. The fact that the officer, Miguel Deras, has continued on in his law enforcement career and now works for the Logan Police Department makes it even more of an epic failure.
This is only the latest offensive tale in a long line of mismanagement, and what needs to happen now is obvious: It’s high time for the University of Utah Police Department to be disbanded. Contracting with the Salt Lake City Police Department for law enforcement services is worth looking into. Salt Lake City already provides fire and emergency medical services to the U. and having them provide police protection seems like a favorable solution.
I urge the University of Utah to begin exploring this possible change with the Mendenhall administration. Either way, something has to change. Current/future students deserve better.
Ryan D. Curtis, Salt Lake City