OGDEN — On moving to Ogden nine years ago, Pepper Glass recalls some of the negative remarks he heard about the city from some locals.

“It really jarred me,” said the associate sociology professor from Weber State University.

The comments seemed focused on the central and western portions of the city, which, though perhaps more working-class, seemed fine to him. But it got him thinking about the dynamics that result in some cities being deemed “good,” others being deemed “bad,” culminating in a new book, ”Misplacing Ogden, Utah,” that focuses on Ogden and its reputation in Utah as a “sin city.”

The reputation — not fully merited by the facts, the author maintains — seems to have its roots in the original placement of the transcontinental railroad north of Ogden in the late 1800s. That placement generated resentment toward Ogden among some in Salt Lake City who wanted the track to run through their city, resulting in a derisive view of Ogden. To be sure, many in Ogden feel pride for the city, but negative views have persisted.

Glass further found that the growth of the Latino and immigrant population in Ogden has seemingly added another dimension to things. Longtime natives, while generally positive about the city, seem to point to the older parts of central and western Ogden with a measure of disdain, while Latino and immigrant newcomers, by and large, see the city in a positive light, without qualification.

Glass held an online discussion about the book on Wednesday, arguing that the significance of such things goes beyond mere academics or community pride. Negative views, even if they’re not justified by reality, can result in crackdowns on crime and other activity that may not be fully merited.

“This has real-world effects,” he said. “That’s going to make things worse. That’s creating more division and boundaries.”

He didn’t necessarily offer a fix. Indeed, he said, half jokingly, that Ogden ought to use its repute as a selling point. Instead of hiding from it, “just lean into its reputation, say, ‘We’re bad, come and see what it’s like,'” he said.

Glass’ book, published by the University of Utah Press, offers a comprehensive look at the sort of informal conversations locals regularly have about the city, some of the stereotypes residents have about the place they call home. The Standard-Examiner in 2017 published a package of stories, the #RealOgden project, delving into the city and how locals perceive it, parsing the notion that Ogden, rightly or wrongly, seems to be viewed as a sort of trouble spot in Utah.

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Glass goes further, offering an academic and sociological look at the issue, arguing that the negative images placed on locales can stem not from reality, but from one group trying to assert superiority over another. Indeed, a look at real indicators like crime, homelessness and prevalence of drugs and gangs can result in a starkly different perspective. Salt Lake City, Glass said, “has a better reputation, but the crime rates are way higher than in Ogden.”

Mayor Mike Caldwell, for one, thinks views of Ogden as a wild town, while justified once upon a time, are now outdated. The wild times, he argues, came when the city was a key stopping point for passenger railroads, bringing U.S. troops and others through the city.

“It did have a rough reputation for a while, but it doesn’t anymore,” Caldwell said. “It’s one of the safest places to live.”

Similarly, though 25th Street once had a rough and sinister reputation, it has undergone a dramatic transformation. With its mix of eateries, stores and, yes, night spots, it’s not a place to avoid, but rather a gathering place, Caldwell said. He doesn’t hear guff about Ogden being a tough place, at least not from anybody who’s been in the city.

’DISTORTED BY THE ASSUMPTIONS'By contrast, Adrienne Andrews, the chief diversity officer at Weber State and a participant in Wednesday’s discussion, sometimes hears the mixed views Glass writes about. But challenging some of the unfairly critical views of Ogden and certain Ogden neighborhoods can be tough.

“The reputation becomes so distorted by the assumptions and perceptions of someone else’s reality,” she said.

Discussing the roots of Ogden’s reputation, Val Holley, a historian from Ogden who’s written about the city, said Salt Lake City boosters “never got over” the fact that they were bypassed as a location for the transcontinental railroad. He also took part in Wednesday’s discussion. That slight, along with the once-rowdy reputation of 25th Street, led to tsk-tsking by leaders from the larger city about Ogden and its lingering reputation.

Looking at some of the statistics, they don’t make Ogden particularly standout among Utah’s larger cities as unduly problematic.

The poverty rate here, 19.6%, which can bear on a city’s general health, is fourth-highest among Utah’s 30 largest cities, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2018. But it’s not an outlier — Logan, Provo and Cedar City rank higher, with poverty rates of 26.3%, 25.9% and 23.6%, respectively, while Salt Lake City ranks fifth, at 17.9%.

Caldwell said the crime rate in Ogden has dropped dramatically, and the Ogden Police Department said in June that “serious crime” in the city had fallen by 27.7% over the last three years. The department reported five homicides in 2018, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety’s “Crime in Utah 2018” report, released last fall, fourth-highest among the reporting departments. Higher up the list were the Salt Lake City Police Department, 11 homicides; the West Valley City Police Department, eight; and the South Salt Lake Police Department, six.

Meantime, a blurb about the book on the University of Utah Press website suggests that there are real stakes in understanding how cities’ reputations can get unfairly tarnished. “Glass’s unique approach suggests we can better confront urban problems by rethinking assumptions about place and promoting interventions that break down boundaries,” it reads.