53-1-121.  Technology and equipment for officer-involved critical incident investigation — Rulemaking — Legislative findings — Revenue fund created.

(1)  The department shall assist the law enforcement agencies of the state and the state’s political subdivisions to obtain technology and equipment to assist in the investigation of officer-involved critical incidents in which a firearm is used.

Terms Used In Utah Code 53-1-121

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of public safety appointed under Section 53-1-107. See Utah Code 53-1-102
  • Department: means the Department of Public Safety created in Section 53-1-103. See Utah Code 53-1-102
  • Law enforcement agency: means an entity or division of:
(i) 
(A) the federal government, a state, or a political subdivision of a state;
(B) a state institution of higher education; or
(C) a private institution of higher education, if the entity or division is certified by the commissioner under Title 53, Chapter 19, Certification of Private Law Enforcement Agency; and
(ii) that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal laws, statutes, and ordinances. See Utah Code 53-1-102
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
    • (2)  To be eligible, the technology or equipment shall be:

    (a)  capable of recording actual shots fired, including the date and time, from a specific weapon;

    (b)  able to distinguish between actual shots fired and other, unrelated but contemporaneous, events; and

    (c)  tamper-proof and unable to be removed or manipulated by the officer.

    (3)  The department shall create a program to assist law enforcement agencies through monetary grants to:

    (a)  purchase technology and equipment to assist in the investigation of officer-involved critical incidents involving a firearm; and

    (b)  train law enforcement officers in the proper use and handling of any technology and equipment purchased in accordance with this section.

    (4) 

    (a)  In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the commissioner shall make rules establishing a program with criteria and procedures for granting matching funds under this section to law enforcement agencies to purchase technology or equipment meeting the criteria in Subsection (2).

    (b)  The rules shall require that funding provided to purchase technology or equipment under this section shall be matched by the requesting law enforcement agency.

    (5)  The Legislature finds that the money is for a general and statewide public purpose.

    (6)  Expenses accrued by the department in carrying out this section shall be provided from this appropriation, but may not exceed $40,000 annually.

    (7)  The Legislature shall appropriate funds to the department to use for matching grants to local law enforcement agencies to carry out the purpose of this program.

    (8)  The department shall report annually to the Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee on the program. The report shall contain:

    (a)  the total amount of appropriations received by the program;

    (b)  amounts granted from the program to local law enforcement agencies, including an accounting of technology purchased by the local law enforcement agency;

    (c)  an accounting of any administrative expenses for the program paid out of the funds;

    (d)  requests for funding that were not granted and the reason for denial; and

    (e)  the total amount of remaining funds.

    Enacted by Chapter 215, 2021 General Session

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