Weber County Sheriff’s Office puts together street crimes unit

Weber County, Utah — The Weber County Sheriff’s Office is changing the tactic in dealing with high crime areas.

Detectives hit the streets two weeks ago and say they’re already seeing positive results.

The unit employs analytics as part of their team effort, similar to what’s now happening in sports. They have one detective who compiles and crunches crime stat numbers, allowing the unit to focus on areas of concern. They also work closely with adult parole and probation to track down repeat offenders, in particular probation and parole fugitives.

“The word’s already getting out on the street that there is a new unit in Weber County and you don’t want to mess with it,” said Lt. Cortney Ryan, Weber County Sheriff’s Office. “We want people to realize we are out here and if you come to Weber County and you decide to bring criminal activity to Weber County you are going to get caught and you’re going to jail.”

Another aspect of the analytics unit is piecing together suspects’ digital footprint which can also be a huge help in solving crimes and making arrests. It allows them to figure out whether they need to be working with gang unit detectives or members of the drug squad, depending on the case.

According to Lt. Ryan says they still need help from the public.