SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) – Salt Lake City Police arrested a man in possession of “distributable amounts” of illegal drugs during a traffic stop on Friday, Dec. 16.

Thomas Curly, 37, was arrested for drug possession with intent to distribute after he was stopped by a SLCPD officer in one of the department’s “focus patrol areas,” according to a press release.

The investigation started at around 12:30 p.m., when the officer saw a car driving on North Temple St. with expired, out-of-state registration tabs.

The officer conducted a traffic stop at 916 West North Temple, and could reportedly “smell marijuana coming from inside the car,” the release states.

Additional officers responded and detained Curly for questioning.

As part of their investigation, officers searched the car and found “distributable amounts” of marijuana, methamphetamine, oxycodone pills, drug packaging materials, and paraphernalia hidden inside.

Curly was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail while a passenger in the car was released.

  • Courtesy of SLCPD
  • Courtesy of SLCPD
  • Courtesy of SLCPD
  • Courtesy of SLCPD

SLCPD has identified the following zones as crime-reduction focus areas:

  • The Pioneer Patrol Division focus area border is from 200 North to South Temple and 700 West to 1000 West.
  • The Central Patrol Division focus area border is from 200 South to 400 South and 200 West to South State Street.
  • The Liberty Patrol Division focus area border is from 1300 South to 1500 South and 200 West to South State Street.

The strategies outlined in SLCPD’s Revised Crime Control Plan reportedly include expanding recruitment and hiring efforts, developing a violent criminal apprehension team, implementing the Police Civilian Response Team, and expanding the department’s call diversion program and its online reporting capabilities.

No further information is currently available.