Public Safety Department

Emergency 911

Police Department 801-423-2312

After Hours 801-794-3970

Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222

Message from Chief Brad S. James

January 30, 2019

The Citizens of Salem City are very fortunate to live in a community that has a number of die-hard volunteers who come to the aid of others in times of emergencies and crisis. Without these dedicated volunteers, there would be no fire or medical service. Each day citizens in our community commit themselves to the service of others. They do so with little acknowledgment or recognition.

The Salem Emergency Medical Association (SEMA) currently has 23 members. Members on their own time strive to obtain as much medical training as possible. The Association has, First Responders, EMT Entry Level members, and Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians. They cover the community of Salem 24 hours a day 365 days a year. They also provide medical services to the community of Woodland Hills and back up the communities of Spanish Fork, Payson & South Utah County. Erman Stone was instrumental in organization SEMA and has been an active member for over 33 years. The majority of these years Erman has served as Captain and overseen this fine organization. Captain Stone after a dedicated and successful career is retiring this year. Karen Boothe has been appointed by Mayor Kurt Christensen as the new Ambulance Captain. SEMA responds to over 300 medical calls for service a year. Furthermore, they attend and support numerous events throughout the year, such as the triathlon, high school football games & a number of community events to name a few.

The Salem Fire Department currently has 16 members. Like their partners in SEMA, they donate their own time to train and achieve as many firefighting certifications as possible. The Fire Department has firefighters with basic Firefighter I, advanced Firefighter 2 & Wildland Fire Certifications. They cover the community of Salem 24 hours a day 365 days a year. They also provide fire service to the community of Woodland Hills and back up the communities of Spanish Fork, Payson & South Utah County. James Ealey has served as the Fire Chief for the past 8 years. This past year the entire department was tested with all of their knowledge and skills with the Bald Mountain Fire that threatened Woodland Hills and Elk Ridge. And the Pole Creek Fire that threatened Covered Bridge and Birdseye. The Salem Fire Department was one of the first Fire Departments to respond to both of these fires. The firefighters from Salem can be congratulated on their quick response and professionalism in dealing with both of these potentially deadly fires. Despite the massiveness of both fires, no lives were lost and no homes were damaged. The Salem Fire Department routinely backs SEMA on medical calls, the police department on traffic accidents and other calls for service.

The Salem Police Department currently has 10 full-time police officers and 1 full-time secretary. Each officer in the department has specific responsibilities. Detective Nielsen is a nationally certified full-time school resource officer (SRO). Officer Christensen is a nationally certified animal control officer (ACO) Sgt. Smith, Corporal Worwood and Officer Christensen are all NOVA instructors who teach drug and alcohol prevention classes at the local Elementary schools. Detective Carter specializes in drug interdiction in our community and works with the Utah County Task Force on a part-time basis. Officers Marbery, Snelson, and Corporal Lloyd are specialists in the patrol division and devote their time to traffic safety related matters. Lieutenant Gurney oversees the investigations bureau. Stacy Bliss is the department secretary who oversees the clerical matters of the department. The Department is led by Chief Brad S. James. The Salem Police Department responded to over 4400 calls for service this past year. Sergeant Smith was recognized as the Police Officer of the year in 2018 by the Utah Chiefs of Police. Sergeant Smith took a simple check fraud case and was able to identify a major counterfeit organization that had victimized thousands of citizens. Sgt. Smith’s work resulted in charges involving a major racketeering organization.

For the past five years, the Salem Police Department has had a K-9 Partner MJ. (Mary Jane) MJ has been responsible for numerous drug seizures and drug-related arrests. Her dedicated service over the years has made the community of Salem a safer and better place to live. It was with much sadness that the Department had to retire, “MJ” January 2, 2019, because of health issues.

All members of the Salem Public Safety Departments are grateful to live in the community of Salem. They are thankful and appreciative of having the opportunity to serve all the citizens of this great community, and look forward to serving all in the future.

Exchange Zone

Salem City Exchange Zone

Eastside of Salem City Office

90 South Main Street

 

The buying and selling of goods online, and exchanging them locally, have become more and more popular. Have you ever been scared to give your address out when selling something online? Wish you had somewhere else you could meet? Meeting at one’s home for these exchanges can be unsafe and is not recommended. You don’t know who you’re meeting. They’re a total stranger to you.  

The most difficult part of such sales is finding a place to meet to safely exchange items for money. Salem City has designated an area where an individual can come and feel a little safer. Salem City now has a designated, “Exchange Zone” located on the eastside of the city office. The zone is under constant video surveillance in a well-lit public area.  The zone can be used for online exchanges like Craigslist and indoor yard sale groups on Facebook.   

Within view of surveillance cameras, the zone is intended to be used by people who are meeting up for an online sale.  Or for couples who are involved in custody agreements and want a public place to pick up or exchange their children. Citizens will most likely be on their best behavior, knowing that they are in a public place and under video surveillance. We encourage you to do exchanges during daylight hours for safety reasons.

Remember it’s always a good idea to keep record of all communications, text and emails. You never know when you might become the victim to a scam.  And finally, if someone that you're dealing with does not want to meet you in this zone, you should probably reconsider making an exchange with them at all.

If you have any questions about the safety zone, feel free to contact me at the Salem City Police Department in person or at (801) 423-2312.

Chief Brad S. James

Salem City Police Department

 

Great Shake Out

We hope that you have participated in the Utah Great Shake Out.   Salem City Public Safety has put together a handout that would be very useful for you to go over with your families.  

 Great Shake Out Hand Out

You can also go to www.shakeout.org/utah for more information.