There has been much controversy on the topic of Operation Rio Grande. Was this operation successful? Who did it benefit? Did it help the individuals on the street, or was its sole purpose a real estate play? This has been the ongoing debate in regard to this operation between the public, politicians and community leaders. Having a clear understanding on this operation is imperative to continue the efforts of the benefits that took place due to this project. Many benefited, from real estate, substance use, criminal expungement, healthcare options and so on. Being able to shed light on the successes and the failures is important. In researching different social media posts on this subject I found that the overall consensus was that this operation was a success. There were many challenges to face as shown in Senator Hughes post which reflects the contention amongst the state leaders in trying to find a uniform solution.
The ACLU however, objects stating that this operation is not the proper way to address the homeless. A clear example of this argument would be Operation Rio Grande and the ACLU's claims on this matter. For example, it states that under Salt Lake County code, it is a crime to lodge or structure in place without the proper permission. It also points out that in the Salt Lake City municipal code, it is a crime to camp on public grounds, carrying a class B misdemeanor which could result in six months in jail with a $1,000 fine. Shelter beds were greatly reduced with the closure of Rio Grande, leaving many of the homeless and substance users with no access to resources or a safe place to stay. It outlines the failed approach, low level catch and release, arrests, collateral damage, the impact on the community, and the rights and dignity of impacted communities. This provided great insight as well as give a great view as to the issues that need to be addressed and the collateral damage it has on the individual. (ACLU 2019) This argument has valid implications on how this operation will potentially criminalize substance use disorder.
Overall I see a trend in the majority of opinions favoring the success versus the failures of this operation. The crime rate hit an all-time low in 2018 as stated by KSL news. The first graduating class of Operation Rio Grande had 15 participants, most of which are still sober today. Governor Herbert outlined the phase process and progress of the operation stating that “we are all in this together, no credit no blame.” (Herbert 2019) Although this operation was not in any way perfect and we can take away many lessons from this program, we continue to see this operation help many even today. Funding is still being used to help individuals seek stability and funding for treatment.
References
Stevenson, J. (2019b, November 4). ACLU of Utah - Endgame for Operation Rio Grande. Https://Www.Acluutah.Org/. https://www.acluutah.org/resources/articles-position-papers/item/1577-rio-grande-endgame (Links to an external site.)
Governor Gary Herbert. Live Operation Rio Grande. Facebook, 2019, Accessed 1 October 2020