A recent viral arrest video shows the Salt Lake City Police Department using a drone to locate an alleged phone thief.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office has been using similar technology since 2015, and the Park City Police Department has a drone program, too.
Sheriff’s spokesperson Skyler Talbot said deputies now use the devices for a variety of purposes.
“These can be used to respond to crimes-in-progress … also very useful for lost children,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” May 4. “We utilize them a lot on the search and rescue front as well.”
Lt. Danielle Snelson sasaid ys Park City police similarly use drones for lost children or hikers or fleeing suspects. They aid traffic studies, too.
Talbot said the sheriff’s office is working to launch a “drone as first responder” program. That would entail stationing an unmanned aircraft somewhere in the county like Kimball Junction.
“We're able to immediately launch that drone. The drone can get there much quicker than a deputy, get eyes on that incident and start feeding real-time information,” Talbot explained.
He estimated there are seven to 10 Summit County deputies who are certified to fly drones. Park City police have five trained pilots, according to Snelson, each with an indoor- and outdoor-specific drone.
Law enforcement can apply for court-approved search warrants to use drones to surveil suspects.
Talbot acknowledged the privacy concerns that come with new technologies and says the sheriff’s office intends to communicate openly how it uses tools like drones.
“We're utilizing them for targeted public safety. This isn't everyday monitoring, everyday random surveillance,” he said. “We're using our drones for specific calls.”
When federal immigration authorities recently swept the Wasatch Back, some residents wondered whether surveillance technology helped — specifically license plate readers.
The sheriff’s office and Park City police released a joint statement in response. They said they had no part in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations April 29.
“At no time did Summit County or Park City personnel conduct a targeted search, real-time tracking, or investigative action using LPR systems on behalf of federal immigration authorities in this case,” they said.
The local agencies say law enforcement groups nationwide use thousands of license plate readers.
“One of its key features enables participating agencies to securely share license plate data collected through their camera networks,” the press release continued. “This capability significantly enhances investigative efforts by allowing agencies to collaborate and track suspects across jurisdictions, including violent offenders who flee the state.”
NPR reports ICE can access local license plate data without involving local law enforcement. It’s unclear if the federal government has used that capability in the Wasatch Back.
The Department of Homeland Security Salt Lake City Field Office didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
