BOUNTIFUL — Bountiful Police Chief Tom Ross doesn’t cut corners when it comes to telling someone what’s on his mind. Whether it is a traffic violation or the changing landscape of his city and Davis County, Ross tells it like it is, no sugar coating. And when it comes to the ills of a county that prides itself on safety and a low crime rate, Ross is blunt.

“We suffer from the same types of evil people as anyplace else,” Ross said. “We are not immune to gangs, drugs, underage drinking and violent crimes including homicides. It’s all here whether we want to believe it or not.”

Layton Police Chief Terry Keefe, who is also head of the Utah Chiefs of Police Association, concurred with Ross. He believes different types of crimes are more prevalent from town to town, but Davis County has some serious problems.

“It definitely varies from city to city, but crime is here and it is growing,” Keefe said. “People need to understand that times have changed. The county has changed.”

One of the biggest reasons for the increase in crime in Davis County is due to its growth. It used to be that Davis County enjoyed a buffer of sorts between its homes and Salt Lake City where the crime rate is consistently higher. As the open fields and farm lands of North Salt Lake and Woods Cross became filled with businesses and homes, there was no real way to distinguish when one drives up Redwood Road where Salt Lake County turns into Davis County.

“First, let me say, Salt Lake City is still a very safe place in comparison to other major cities in the country,” Keefe said. “But it does have higher crime rates than Davis County. We’ve always been sort of a sleepy bedroom community up here. That is not necessarily the case anymore. People are coming up here to commit some crimes.”

Another reason for the increase has to do with more access from the city into Davis County. It used to be I-15, Highway 89 and the woods of Redwood Road. Today, I-15 is larger and easier to drive, Highway 89 remains easily accessed and Redwood Road is becoming a popular roadway.

“You take our usual corridors and add I-215, Legacy and FrontRunner and getting in and out of Davis County from Salt Lake County is much easier,” said North Salt Lake Police Chief Craig Black. “The access definitely makes it easier for people to get here and get out.”

Black, who grew up in Bountiful, gave a vivid example of the change in the area.

“Imagine this,” he said. “I can get from Foxboro in North Salt Lake to Rose Park faster than if I want to go to Rocket Park in Bountiful. No one would have ever seen that coming.”

To suggest crime is increasing only because people from outside Davis County can access this area would be absurd. As the growth of the county increases, so does its criminal element. Ross said studies have shown with increased population and more thorough fares (roadway access) there is always an increase in crime. Add in the new communication technology with access to drugs and alcohol at a younger age and it’s a formula for problems. But, according to all three chiefs, one of the biggest problems of burglaries may actually be a very simple fix.

“People in this area have a false sense of security,” Keefe said. “It is amazing how many people leave their keys in the car, or leave their homes unlocked and unprotected when they are on vacation. We get calls all the time from people who have significant amounts of money, computers or purses stolen from their cars in their driveways.”

Like any group of people, criminals network, too, said Ross, allowing one another to know how to get to the easiest targets. If someone doesn’t take responsibility to protect themselves, it certainly increases the possibility of becoming a victim.

“Residents just need to be smart about how they live,” Ross said. “The days of leaving our doors unlocked are gone. We have to take responsibility for our safety and lock up our homes and cars and when we go out of town use light timers and not have our newspapers and mail piling up. But we want to believe it won’t happen to us. It will and does happen to us.”

Aside from burglaries, the chiefs point out another problem in Davis County has to do with drug abuse and underage alcohol use. Those problems are the seedlings to larger issues such as gang violence.

“We have a problem here with our children drinking and using drugs,” Ross said. “It is real. It happens to kids from good families, too. Drug abuse and underage drinking doesn’t discriminate.

“You may not be able to buy hard drugs in every community in Davis County,” Ross said. “But I promise you there are plenty of people who, if they don’t sell it themselves, can find the drug of choice with a simple phone call. Everything from pot to the harder drugs like meth, heroin…everything.”

The drug and alcohol use is addictive and will, in many cases, lead to a person graduating to bigger, and more serious crimes to feed the habit. This may also include partnering with a gang because as a member of a gang the ability to reach those illegal substances increases.

“Gangs are trying to get entrenched here,” Ross said. “It’s real.”

The recent controversial measures taken by the City of Ogden shows what can happen as the gangs get a stranglehold on a community. Police in Davis County are taking pre-emptive strikes to fight the gang problem before it becomes more difficult, but it is not something that they can do on their own. The police are working together and sharing information as well as increasing ways to educate the community on how it can be actively involved.

“Our resource police officers in the schools are very helpful because they see things and hear things,” Ross said. “They are a huge asset, especially as they show people they gain the trust of students. The students come to know that the police are on their side and want to help them.

“The only way to keep our communities safe and fight off those things trying to get here is if we work together.”