Protesters against police brutality gather outside of the Cottonwood Heights Police Department in Cottonwood Heights on Aug. 3, 2020. Utah legislators passed a number of bills this session aimed at improving trust in law enforcement amid ongoing national outrage over officer-involved deaths. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Legislature passed a number of bills this session aimed at improving trust in law enforcement amid ongoing national outrage over officer-involved deaths.
To prevent rulings on use of force incidents from taking several months or even years to be completed, HB123 will establish a 180-day timeline for the investigations, including when someone is killed by police.
“The fact that we are coming to this agreement that there needs to be a state standard for time (for the investigation) after someone has been killed or shot or injured by police, this is a great bill,” said Rae Duckworth, president of the Black Lives Matter Utah chapter.
The bill will help resolve what she described as “the allowance of police and the abuse that they have put on the community,” according to Duckworth.
HB123 requires that if an investigation will not be completed within 180 days, the county or district attorney’s office needs to post a public statement on its website with a “reasonable estimate” of when the investigation will be complete, as well as the cause of the delay.
The reform is meant to expedite the process for both family members of those injured or killed by police, as well as police who wait to learn whether or not they will face prosecution after the investigation is complete, said bill sponsor Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan.
The bill received final passage on Friday, the last day of the Legislature, with a unanimous vote. It awaits Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature before becoming final.
Meanwhile, HB260 will mandate the public release of law enforcement use-of-force video recordings in most cases. But if charges have been filed against an officer, the recording would only be released if the judge determines it would not likely prejudice jurors.
The Legislature also passed HB171, which prohibits investigators from using deception during interrogations with minors in custody.
HB124 requires police officers to knock and demand admission to a home multiple times when executing a search warrant. The bill also requires that officers audibly identify themselves and allows departments to use controversial “no-knock” warrants only when there is “reasonable suspicion to believe exigent circumstances exist due to the physical safety of an officer or individual.”
Other law enforcement bills that passed:
- The Legislature is cracking down on speeding and DUI with SB53, which increases the minimum fine requirement for those driving over 105 mph and penalizes spectators of street races; and HB143, which increases the penalty for a person’s second offense of driving under the influence.
- HB153 will require child welfare investigators to take steps to ensure a child is comfortable during an interview.
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