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License-plate readers · Salt Lake County

Salt Lake County

Using license-plate readers · 8 agencies documented

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Salt Lake City Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Motorola Solutions
Cameras
70
"About 70" police cameras per KUTV (Aug. 28, 2026); 70 per FOX 13 (Sept. 15, 2026); "nearly 70" per the Tribune (Oct. 2, 2026). SLCPD's own 2023 presentation said 57.
Contract
Motorola Solutions: (The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 25, 2026; The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 17, 2026)
Sources
KUTV, Aug. 28, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Sept. 15, 2026; The Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 2, 2026; Salt Lake City Police Department (Utah Public Notice Website), Aug. 2023; The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 25, 2026; The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 17, 2026; Salt Lake City Council, July 21, 2026; KSL, Dec. 11, 2025; FOX 13 News Utah, Dec. 30, 2025; Salt Lake City Council, July 7, 2026; KUER, Aug. 13, 2026; Utah Public Notice Website, Sept. 15, 2026; Salt Lake City Council (Utah Public Notice Website), Sept. 1, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Sept. 17, 2026; Salt Lake City Police Department, July 2026; KUER, July 30, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Sept. 8, 2026
  1. Aug. 2023 An SLCPD presentation to the Personal Privacy Oversight Commission reported 57 cameras, data-sharing agreements with 21 agencies from Ogden to Provo, nine-month retention and quarterly audits. (Salt Lake City Police Department (Utah Public Notice Website), Aug. 2023)
  2. Oct. 23, 2025 The council received notice of an application for a $224,000 2024 COPS Technology and Equipment subaward to install readers on major roads into and out of the city, per a staff report. (Salt Lake City Council, July 21, 2026)
  3. Dec. 9, 2025 After a public hearing, the council deferred the $224,000 grant. KSL reported the money would come through the Davis County Sheriff's Office and gave no vote count for the camera item. (KSL, Dec. 11, 2025; Salt Lake City Council, July 21, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Dec. 30, 2025)
  4. July 21, 2026 The council was briefed on a draft ordinance limiting uses, requiring agreements for outside access, requiring quarterly audits and a public annual review, and barring facial recognition and targeting of First Amendment activity. (Salt Lake City Council, July 21, 2026; Salt Lake City Council, July 7, 2026)
  5. Aug. 13, 2026 KUER reported records showing police used the cameras in more than 6,400 investigations since 2021, most involving stolen vehicles. (KUER, Aug. 13, 2026)
  6. Sept. 2026 The Tribune reported on Sept. 17 that signs and stickers opposing the cameras were left at the homes of council members considering the ordinance, and that the chair reported an incident to police. It gave no exact dates. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 17, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Sept. 17, 2026)
  7. Sept. 15, 2026 The scheduled public hearing on the ordinance (file Z 20260162) was postponed with no new date, with the council agenda citing pending amendments. (Utah Public Notice Website, Sept. 15, 2026; Salt Lake City Council (Utah Public Notice Website), Sept. 1, 2026; The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 17, 2026)
  8. Oct. 2, 2026 The Tribune reported public discussion is on hold while officials assess the January legislative session, and that Council Chair Alejandro Puy still intends to pass an ordinance this year. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 2, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Sharing statements differ. The 2023 presentation cites agreements with 21 agencies. The July 2026 staff report says "The information is not shared with other agencies," and also says approved law enforcement partners may access it, with outside agencies getting query-only access under an agreement. KSL reported in December 2025 that Chief Brian Redd said the department does not work with ICE and that it shares with other federal agencies during specific criminal investigations. The Tribune reported police say the contract bars unauthorized sharing and the system blocks data from immigration authorities.
  • Data is stored on Vigilant's web-based servers (Tribune). Police say the department owns the data it collects (FOX 13). Policy 426 is cited in SLCPD's one-page summary, which gives nine-month retention and five years for search records.
  • Grant status after deferral was not found; the Oct. 2, 2026 Tribune article does not say it was approved.
  • Salt Lake City Compliance (parking enforcement) ran 6 LPR-equipped vehicles with data deleted every 90 days, per the 2023 presentation; current use is not confirmed.
  • The Real-Time Crime Center uses an Axon cloud platform (Tribune); Axon is not reported as the plate-reader vendor.
  • KUER reported on July 30, 2026, that Puy said a warrant can be "over the top" for some cases. ACLU of Utah legal director Jason Groth said he would improve how the draft handles government entities acquiring city data, and said requiring a warrant applies a probable cause standard to that review.

From agency records.

Unified Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Motorola Solutions
Contract
Motorola Solutions: (The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 24, 2026)
Sources
The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 24, 2026; Utah Public Notice Website, Sept. 17, 2025; KUTV, Aug. 11, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Oct. 30, 2026
  1. Sept. 17, 2025 The Copperton Council agenda listed a discussion of license plate reader cameras led by a UPD lieutenant; the agenda gives no details. (Utah Public Notice Website, Sept. 17, 2025)
  2. Aug. 24, 2026 Assistant Chief Justin Hoyal told the Tribune the department last had a Flock contract three or four years ago, now has a contract for Motorola's Vigilant cameras, and has not determined whether it owned a dormant Flock camera Millcreek removed. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 24, 2026)
  3. Oct. 30, 2026 FOX 13 reported, in a video label on an Oct. 30 story, that Unified Police removed its readers in Kearns after public backlash. It gave no removal date. (FOX 13 News Utah, Oct. 30, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • KUTV reported on Aug. 11, 2026, that Millcreek officials said neither the city nor Unified Police has a contract with Flock. No contract amount or camera count found.
  • FOX 13's Oct. 30 mention of the Kearns removal does not say whether Unified has readers elsewhere.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

West Valley City Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Genetec
Cameras
Count not documented
Not stated in the minutes.
Contract
Genetec: · from Sept. 2025 (West Valley City (Utah Public Notice Website), Sept. 23, 2025)
Sources
West Valley City (Utah Public Notice Website), Sept. 23, 2025; KUER, Jan. 21, 2026
  1. Sept. 23, 2025 The council voted 7-0 for Resolution 25-130 to buy plate readers and services from AES Systems-Genetec after a test phase. Minutes say the department previously partnered with Motorola Solutions and Flock Safety and give no dollar figure beyond costs "consistent with previously allocated funds." Voting yes: Wood, Whetstone, Harmon, Huynh, Christensen, Nordfelt and Mayor Lang. (West Valley City (Utah Public Notice Website), Sept. 23, 2025)
Conflicts and open questions
  • KUER (Jan. 21, 2026) mentioned West Valley City among places Flock cameras may have recorded drivers, after the council's September 2025 move to Genetec. Whether any Flock hardware remains was not established.
  • The minutes name "AES Systems – Genetec" as the provider and refer to Genetec products.

From agency records.

Sandy Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Contract
Flock Safety: (KUTV, July 30, 2026)
Sources
KUTV, July 30, 2026
  1. July 30, 2026 KUTV reported it confirmed Sandy police among the agencies with Flock contracts. (KUTV, July 30, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • No contract record, amount or camera count found.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Draper Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
14
14 cameras on public roads per the city's Flock FAQ (undated; covers use through July 2026) and August 2025 council minutes; KUTV also reported 14.
Contract
Flock Safety: $53,573.35 first year; $48,807.00 recurring year (Draper City, 2026; Draper Police Department, 2026)
Sources
Draper City, 2026; Draper Police Department, 2026; Utah Public Notice Website, Aug. 19, 2025; KUTV, July 30, 2026
  1. Aug. 19, 2025 In a study session, all council members and the mayor indicated support for a 14-camera Flock purchase, with minutes listing $45,780 for the first year and $39,000 a year after. No formal vote was recorded; a budget amendment was to follow. (Utah Public Notice Website, Aug. 19, 2025)
  2. Nov. 2025 The department began using Flock cameras, according to the chief's letter and the city FAQ. (Draper Police Department, 2026; Draper City, 2026)
  3. July 2026 The city's FAQ reported the system was accessed for 80 cases from November 2025 through July 2026, with over 50 yielding case-related information. (Draper City, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Costs differ by document: the FAQ gives $53,573.35 and $48,807.00; the Aug. 19, 2025 minutes of the proposal give $45,780 and $39,000. The chief's letter says the council approved the purchase at a public meeting; that approval record was not found.
  • FAQ: 30-day data deletion; agencies in the Flock network can search with a case number and are told of any match, then coordinate with Draper police; the city says it owns the data. The city says enforcement methods are policy decisions, not legislative ones, so they are not subject to referendum.
  • KUTV reported, from Draper's website, that access records are kept five years, each use is audited and employees who misuse data are subject to immediate termination.

From agency records.

Cottonwood Heights Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Motorola Solutions
Sources
Utah Public Notice Website, July 16, 2024
  1. July 16, 2024 Council minutes record Chief Robby Russo describing a Motorola-made plate-reader system as part of a national network and citing two solved cases. No vote or cost recorded. (Utah Public Notice Website, July 16, 2024)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Latest evidence found is from July 2024, so current use is unconfirmed.

From agency records.

Riverton Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Sources
Deseret News, April 2, 2026
  1. April 2, 2026 In a Deseret News guest opinion, Councilman Andy Pierucci wrote that plate-reader technology has helped Riverton police in kidnapping, trafficking, burglary and hit-and-run cases. The cases are undated, and he does not say which company Riverton uses. (Deseret News, April 2, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • This comes from an opinion piece by a city council member. No contract record was found.

Secondhand report; not yet confirmed with the agency.

City of Millcreek

Status
Checked: no program found
Vendors
Cameras
Count not documented
One dormant Flock camera removed; the city says it has no contract and did not authorize it.
Sources
The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 24, 2026; KUTV, Aug. 24, 2026; KUTV, Aug. 11, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Aug. 22, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Sept. 8, 2026; KUTV, Aug. 28, 2026
  1. July 31, 2026 Public works crews removed a dormant Flock camera found on city property on July 29, the Tribune reported. Officials said it was likely installed in the first half of 2022, by a prior private owner or under a past Unified Police contract; no one has claimed it. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 24, 2026; KUTV, Aug. 24, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Aug. 22, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Characterizations differ: FOX 13 (Sept. 8, 2026) said Millcreek stopped using the cameras and KUTV (Aug. 28) said it rejected them, while city officials say the city had no contract.
  • Location varies: north of 3300 South (Tribune); near 3200 South and Highland Drive (FOX 13).
  • KUTV (Aug. 11) reported officials were reviewing every Flock camera in the city for legal installation; no outcome found.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Statewide

  1. 2013 S.B. 196 put plate-reader guidelines for "a person or governmental entity" into law, per a legislative staff history. The code shows the Act's title section as enacted by Chapter 447 of the 2013 General Session. (Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Sept. 16, 2026; Utah Legislature, 2025)
  2. 2014 Legislative staff say S.B. 222 narrowed the restrictions so they cover only government entities and made those entities get a warrant or court order for data held privately. S.B. 51 put public transit districts on the list of allowed users. (Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Sept. 16, 2026)
  3. 2020 Legislative staff say H.B. 128 let higher education institutions use the readers. H.B. 443 extended that to the Utah Inland Port Authority in 2022. (Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Sept. 16, 2026)
  4. 2023 Legislative staff say S.B. 250 made police log their plate-data searches and publish their policies, and spelled out which police uses are allowed. UDOT says the bill also set up a way for municipalities to get permission for readers in state rights-of-way. (Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Sept. 16, 2026; Utah Department of Transportation, date not shown)
  5. 2024 Legislative staff say S.B. 45 let police use the readers to reach the Utah Criminal Justice Information System and added a definition of "active criminal investigation." (Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Sept. 16, 2026)
  6. 2025 H.B. 468 (Chevrier) proposed 90-day maximum retention, annual reporting to the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, and First Amendment limits. Utah News Dispatch reported it passed the House and died in the Senate. S.B. 138 (Owens), also 2025, would have removed the warrant requirement for plate data from nongovernmental sources. (Utah Legislature, 2025; Utah News Dispatch, Aug. 20, 2026; Utah Legislature, 2025)
  7. Jan. 30, 2025 The State Auditor's privacy office published a draft privacy alert on plate readers listing concerns about retention, sharing and misconfigured systems and recommending published policies and routine audits. It names no Utah agency and gives no Utah counts. (Utah Office of the State Auditor, Jan. 30, 2025)
  8. May 14, 2025 The Utah Office of Data Privacy published its review of a complaint about two unnamed law enforcement agencies. It found neither had a filed retention schedule for plate data, found policy language at one that went beyond or conflicted with the Act, and recommended corrections. (Utah Office of Data Privacy, May 14, 2025)
  9. Sept. 30, 2025 The Utah Privacy Commission's FY2026 report recommended the Legislature consider a version of H.B. 468 reflecting consensus among major stakeholders, including law enforcement. (Utah Public Notice Website, Sept. 30, 2025)
  10. Oct. 14, 2025 The current version of 41-6a-2003 took effect, as amended by Chapter 9 of the 2025 First Special Session, according to the Legislature's code site. Under the Act, plate data a government entity captures is a protected record that may not be kept more than nine months except as listed, and police need a written policy on use, management and auditing. (Utah Legislature, Oct. 14, 2025; Utah Legislature, 2025)
  11. 2026 A Utah Privacy Commission ALPR Task Force advisory recommended a 21-day retention baseline, with up to nine months for agencies in a state study. It asked policymakers to consider immutable audit logs and limits on vendors using Utah data for AI training, and to evaluate protections against direct, bulk or unrestricted out-of-state access. The advisory's text is undated. (Utah Privacy Commission (Utah Public Notice Website), 2026)
  12. 2026 The same advisory said Salt Lake County Criminal Justice Executive Board minutes of Feb. 12, 2014, indicate agreements were prepared to authorize sharing data, including plate data, with Palantir systems. It said the extent of any data provided is unknown and that it had not verified a report the state's Palantir relationship ended around 2021. (Utah Privacy Commission (Utah Public Notice Website), 2026)
  13. March 3, 2026 A House committee report dated March 3, 2026 returned H.B. 327, whose first substitute was titled License Plate Reader and Data Retention Amendments, to the Rules Committee. The substitute would have set 150-day general retention and banned facial recognition. KSL reported, without giving a bill number, that a related 2026 bill did not get a hearing. (Utah Legislature, 2026; KSL, Aug. 20, 2026; Utah Legislature, March 3, 2026)
  14. March 4, 2026 Utah Privacy Commission minutes recorded the expectation that H.B. 327 would likely not pass that session, with issues unresolved between police agencies and legislators. (Utah Public Notice Website, March 4, 2026)
  15. May 19, 2026 Rep. Chevrier wrote to the Utah Privacy Commission asking for recommendations on 1st Sub. H.B. 327 for the 2027 session by Sept. 30, 2026. (Utah Public Notice Website, May 19, 2026)
  16. Aug. 2026 KSL reported that Utah law enforcement agencies need a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Public Safety before they can trade plate data with one another, in a story on Davis County commissioners approving theirs 2-1. (KSL, Aug. 15, 2026)
  17. Aug. 14, 2026 Utah News Dispatch reported Utah Civic Compact figures showing 10 Weber County Flock cameras were searched 5.1 million times from February 2022 through July 2026, with almost 97% of searches from out-of-state agencies. The Compact said it was not alleging unlawful activity. (Utah News Dispatch, Aug. 14, 2026)
  18. Aug. 20, 2026 Gov. Cox said he was "deeply troubled" and asked the Utah Privacy Governing Board and Utah Privacy Commission to review the rules, especially local agency use. "If there are some gaps, then yes, I would absolutely support legislation," he said. (KSL, Aug. 20, 2026; Utah News Dispatch, Aug. 20, 2026)
  19. Sept. 2, 2026 KUTV reported an aide said House Speaker Mike Schultz would seek legislation restricting Flock cameras and setting limits on the handling of their data, including its sale, and did not rule out a special session. Sen. Kathleen Riebe said she wants to propose limits too. (KUTV, Sept. 2, 2026)
  20. Sept. 8, 2026 A Utah Civic Compact presentation to the Utah Privacy Commission set Weber County's Flock contract beside the statute. It showed the contract's "Permitted Purpose" definition next to the four purposes for which police may access captured plate data, and said Flock holds final discretion to veto a camera location. It stated no formal compliance finding. (Utah Civic Compact (Utah Public Notice Website), Sept. 8, 2026)
  21. Sept. 16, 2026 The Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee heard staff, police groups and the Office of Data Privacy on plate readers, with no vote. Co-chair Sen. Calvin Musselman said lawmakers are "not considering a ban on license plate readers," and a bill file was opened. (Utah Legislature, Sept. 16, 2026; FOX 13 News Utah, Sept. 17, 2026; KSL, Sept. 16, 2026)
  22. Sept. 16, 2026 The Utah Law Enforcement Legislative Committee, whose voting members include the Department of Public Safety and Attorney General's Office, told the committee it supports explicit bans on unauthorized use, periodic external audits and notifying people whose data was unlawfully accessed. It said retention changes need further discussion. (Utah Law Enforcement Legislative Committee (via Utah Legislature), Sept. 16, 2026)
  23. Sept. 23, 2026 The Utah Privacy Governing Board's agenda for Sept. 23 scheduled a workshop on its review approach, with speakers listed from the Privacy Commission task force, the Department of Public Safety, the Attorney General's Office, the Riverton City Council, the Cato Institute and the Libertas Institute. (Utah Public Notice Website, Sept. 23, 2026)
  24. Oct. 2026 Privacy advocates presented possible limits to legislators, including tighter access, shorter retention and new ways to challenge misuse, the Tribune reported (weekday only: a Wednesday before Oct. 22). TownLift reported the bill has no number yet. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 22, 2026; TownLift, Oct. 22, 2026)
  25. Oct. 28, 2026 KSL reported that Utah Civic Compact president Connor Radcliffe estimates Utah has at least 1,000 plate-reader cameras, and that a precise count has been hard to pin down. (KSL, Oct. 28, 2026)

State agencies

Utah Department of Public Safety (including Utah Highway Patrol, State Bureau of Investigation and SIAC)

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
Count not documented
No reader count found. The policy and SIAC page give none.
Sources
Utah Department of Public Safety (SIAC), July 22, 2025; Utah Statewide Information and Analysis Center, date not shown; Utah Department of Public Safety (Utah Public Notice Website), date not shown; KSL, March 6, 2026; KSL, April 27, 2026; KSL, Aug. 15, 2026; Utah Legislature, interim committee materials, Sept. 16, 2026; Utah Law Enforcement Legislative Committee (via Utah Legislature), Sept. 16, 2026; Utah Public Notice Website, Sept. 23, 2026
  1. Dec. 20, 2023 UDOT special use permit application R2-ALPRS 002 for DPS was signed; the published form lists no locations, camera count or contractor. (Utah Department of Public Safety (SIAC), July 22, 2025)
  2. July 22, 2025 Latest Lexipol copyright date on DPS Policy 639: nine-month retention, release of data to agencies that have signed a memorandum of understanding, and audits "on a regular basis." (Utah Department of Public Safety (SIAC), July 22, 2025)
  3. March 6, 2026 DPS investigations chief Tanner Jensen told KSL the technology is "a vital tool for law enforcement." KSL reported in April that police are working with lawmakers on guardrails, and Jensen said the state is trying to balance the technology with civil and privacy rights. (KSL, March 6, 2026; KSL, April 27, 2026)
  4. Aug. 2026 KSL reported Davis County commissioners approved a plate-data sharing agreement with DPS, and that Weber County approved its agreement with the state on June 2. (KSL, Aug. 15, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • An undated DPS slide deck says "To date, 23 agencies have signed the DPS MOU"; it counts agencies, not cameras, and has no date.
  • SIAC's page says DPS scan data purges automatically after 9 months, DPS cannot access commercial plate data without a warrant, and sharing requires an inter-agency agreement. It names Flock only as an example of a company offering a device, not as DPS's vendor.
  • Policy 639 does not name UHP or SBI, though it refers to troopers. A success-story handout at the Sept. 16, 2026 hearing says UHP used mobile units on I-15 and I-80 in 2018. No separate SBI or UHP program record was found.
  • No Attorney General enforcement action on plate readers was found; the AG's Office appears only as a member of the law enforcement legislative committee and as a scheduled speaker to the Privacy Governing Board.

From agency records.