License plate reader misuse uncovered by KSL raises questions about oversight in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Roadside cameras equipped with license plate reader technology have many Utahns concerned.

Law enforcement agencies say they have internal checks and balances to prevent misuse. But how effective are those systems at policing the police?

The KSL Investigators surveyed more than 30 Utah law enforcement agencies about the safeguards they have in place and uncovered what appears to be the first publicly known example of an officer misusing the technology in Utah.

'No reason to run it'

According to internal affairs investigation records, former Tooele County Sheriff's Office detective Jose Baires searched the department's license plate reader system in November 2025 for the vehicle belonging to the estranged husband of a woman he was seeing.

In order to conduct the search, records show the detective entered a case number for a case that had already been closed. Investigators determined there was no legitimate reason for Baires to run the license plate. Once he did, he viewed 20 separate detection records.

Utah's Peace Officer Standards and Training Council voted to suspend Baires' certification for 18 months.

When reached by phone, Baires chose not to provide a comment but said he is no longer working in law enforcement.

Privacy concerns

"I get very upset when I hear stories like that," said Clark Dice with the Utah Civic Compact, a newly formed nonprofit organization.

Dice said prior to learning about the KSL Investigators' findings, the group was not aware of any known examples of license plate reader misuse in Utah.

"We've definitely had conversations where they say, 'Well, it's not our problem if Texas or California or Virginia has malfeasance. This is Utah,'" Dice said.

The Utah Civic Compact has been studying license plate reader technology. It's not advocating for a complete ban; however, the group wants lawmakers to establish uniform, statewide guardrails.

"There's serious privacy concerns," Dice said.

Those concerns have already prompted some agencies to change how the technology is managed.

The Ogden Police Department told KSL it has been strengthening its internal safeguards.

"To check and make sure that our system isn't being used incorrectly," Capt. Matthew Ward said.

Ward said the department revised its policy and implemented tighter controls this year.

According to a 2026 report by the Utah Civic Compact, Weber County's 10 Flock cameras were searched more than five million times by law enforcement agencies in 45 states.

"So right now, especially with all the concerns, we've really locked ours down to us," Ward said.

He said agencies that want access to data collected by Ogden's cameras must now make a request through the department.

The Salt Lake City Police Department has taken a similar approach with its network of approximately 70 Motorola Vigilant cameras.

"We own our data," Sgt. Greg Wilking said. "We can control who gets that data, who has access to it."

Wilking said part of the department's effort has been educating the public about what the technology does and does not do. He stressed that the cameras do not track people or faces. He also noted that he couldn't show the KSL Investigators a demonstration of a search in the system, because that would require an active case number.

Safeguards

In response to KSL's questions, many Utah law enforcement agencies said they have safeguards in place to prevent misuse, including limiting who has access to the system, requiring users to enter an active case number or reason for a search and conducting regular audits.

But among the 23 agencies that responded, KSL found those safeguards vary significantly.

Some agencies retain license plate reader data for just seven days, while others store it for up to nine months.

Audit schedules also differ.

West Jordan Police Department said it audits its system weekly. Several departments, including Ogden Police, reported conducting audits monthly. Clearfield Police Department told KSL it completed an audit this year but did not conduct one in 2025.

In Salt Lake City, a civilian auditor began conducting monthly audits of the department's license plate reader system in August. The agency is also in the process of developing a threat management tool to flag anomalies early.

All of the Utah agencies that responded to KSL's questions said they had not identified misuse within their own systems.

"We've conducted an internal investigation on ourselves, and we have found no malfeasance," Dice said, describing the concern he has with relying solely on internal reviews.

When asked whether he trusted those findings, Dice said, "These sort of audits, we strongly feel, should be done by a third party."

'What about the ones we don't know about?'

The Tooele County Sheriff's Office did not answer KSL's questions.

However, records show the former detective's actions were not discovered during a routine audit of the license plate reader system.

Instead, investigators uncovered the search while looking into an undisclosed relationship that raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest. That investigation prompted a review of the detective's activity across multiple law enforcement databases.

"That's the one we know about," Dice said. "What about the ones we don't know about?"

Law enforcers say misuse undermines public trust and jeopardizes their ability to access a critical tool.

"It's frustrating when people misuse those things because it has an effect on us," Ward said.

"And that actually is a crime that an officer can be charged for," said Wilking, referencing the Utah law that makes misusing a license plate reader system a misdemeanor crime.

Police agencies across Utah say license plate readers have helped solve hit-and-run crashes, locate missing people, investigate kidnappings and assist with homicide cases.

"We feel that it actually has life-saving capability," Wilking said.

That's why, as the technology is sure to be a focus of next year's legislative session, law enforcers want a voice in what statewide regulation would look like.

"We just want the legislation to be well thought out and not be a knee-jerk reaction," Ward said.

And those calling for action want to see Utah strike the right balance sooner, rather than later, "so that the people of Utah can feel safe in their community," Dice said.