It was a cold, snowy night last winter when UTA Police Officer Bryant Adams found two people huddled at Ogden Central Station. The nearest homeless shelter was locked for the night, and the two were ill-equipped to sleep outside in the frigid temperatures. Fortunately, Adams was prepared.

“I gave them coats, gloves, hats, sleeping bags – everything I could,” he said. 

Meeting people who need warm clothing happens frequently on patrol, Adams said, which is why he started a clothing drive a few years ago. Now every officer in the department carries warm clothing and blankets to hand out to people in need. What started as an effort based mostly in the Salt Lake City area has expanded in recent years to include Davis, Utah and Weber counties.

“We have a lot of contact with people out in the streets, in the trains and in the buses,” he said. “Sometimes the homeless shelters are closed or overcrowded. The officers keep these items in their cars to hand out to people as they need them.”

Many of the items are donated by the St. James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden. Other items are given by businesses or individuals. If you would like to donate clean, new or like-new condition items to this effort, please contactl utasocial@rideuta.com.

This is one of UTA Transit Police’s many service efforts. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about how UTA’s police department works to serve the community.