This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A House committee on Friday favored a bill involving police body cameras and sent it to the full Utah House of Representatives.
HB300 elicited only a few minutes of discussion Friday before the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Standing Committee approved it by a 9-2 vote. The bill would require several things of police forces who purchase video cameras that fasten to an officer's uniform or glasses, including that the cameras be in working condition, that officers activate the cameras upon any encounter with the public and make a reasonable effort to notify occupants about the camera before entering a private residence.
The bill would also add a caveat to Utah's public record laws, specifying that any agency can deny release of a record if it believes personal privacy interests outweigh benefits to the public.
— Nate Carlisle
Twitter: @natecarlisle