Utah to get $4.4M to help fight crime

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — More than 25 cities and agencies across Utah are getting $4.4 million in stimulus money for initiatives to fight gangs, combat drunken driving and fund specialized courts that look at therapy and alternative sentencing instead of jail and prison time.

Cities including North Salt Lake, Midvale, Provo, Hurricane, Washington City and Layton are using their federal funding to hire gang detectives or gang specialists.

In Layton the money will go toward an investigator who will be dedicated to prescription drug abuse and a gang detective.

The posts will be funded for two years.

Layton police Lt. Quinn Moyes says the city had a 16 percent increase in gang-related police calls from 2007 to 2008. But Layton has not had a full-time gang detective.