04 Sep Utah law enforcement officials issue statement on editorial cartoon

A letter signed by law enforcement officials in Utah — including Utah Department of Corrections Executive Director Mike Haddon — has been released taking issue with an editorial cartoon recently published in the Salt Lake Tribune.

The drawing depicts columnist Pat Bagley’s interpretation of “The Deep Hate.” It features a representation of a law enforcement officer staring at an X-ray image of himself with the doctor pointing to an internal image of a hooded figure and stating, “Well, there’s your problem.”

The letter states that, “The illustration was clearly depicting hate within the law enforcement officer manifested as a hooded member of the Ku Klux Klan. This description of law enforcement is insulting, inappropriate, and outright obscene.”

“We condemn the use of KKK imagery in the portrayal of Utah’s law enforcement professionals,” the letter continues.

The statement is also signed by the Commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety plus the presidents of the Utah Chiefs Association, the Utah Sheriffs Association and the Utah League of Cities and Towns.

To view the full statement, please visit https://dpsnews.utah.gov/whats-really-inside-our-officers-a-desire-to-serve-and-pro.

Communications Office, Sept. 4, 2020