To coincide with the new school year starting on Tuesday, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and police officials introduced a new program to get students to and from the classroom safely.
As part of the “Safe Passage” operation, uniformed officers will be placed on the street near three westside schools helping children get to school after they are dropped off by their parents, similarly to a police escort. The schools in question that will utilize the Safe Passage operation are Jackson Elementary, Blackman Elementary, and the Horizonte Instruction and Training Center.
For many students who were taught at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, this might be the first time they get to experience heading into their physical school building.
Police Chief Mike Brown says that students will see a multitude of marked officers helping them to and from school. Brown believes that this safe new program will help settle some nerves for both children and parents alike.
