Utah Code 77-7a-104. Activation and use of body-worn cameras
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(1) An officer using a body-worn camera shall verify that the equipment is properly functioning as is reasonably within the officer’s ability.
Terms Used In Utah Code 77-7a-104
- Person: means :(24)(a) an individual;(24)(b) an association;(24)(c) an institution;(24)(d) a corporation;(24)(e) a company;(24)(f) a trust;(24)(g) a limited liability company;(24)(h) a partnership;(24)(i) a political subdivision;(24)(j) a government office, department, division, bureau, or other body of government; and(24)(k) any other organization or entity. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5(2) An officer shall report any malfunctioning equipment to the officer’s supervisor if:(2)(a) the body-worn camera issued to the officer is not functioning properly upon initial inspection; or(2)(b) an officer determines that the officer’s body-worn camera is not functioning properly at any time while the officer is on duty.(3) An officer shall wear the body-worn camera so that it is clearly visible to the person being recorded.(4) An officer shall activate the body-worn camera prior to any law enforcement encounter, or as soon as reasonably possible.(5) An officer shall record in an uninterrupted manner until after the conclusion of a law enforcement encounter, except as an interruption of a recording is allowed under this section.(6) When going on duty and off duty, an officer who is issued a body-worn camera shall record the officer’s name, identification number, and the current time and date, unless the information is already available due to the functionality of the body-worn camera.(7) If a body-worn camera was present during a law enforcement encounter, the officer shall document the presence of the body-worn camera in any report or other official record of a contact.(8) When a body-worn camera has been activated, the officer may not deactivate the body-worn camera until the officer’s direct participation in the law enforcement encounter is complete, except as provided in Subsection (9).(9) An officer may deactivate a body-worn camera:(9)(a) to consult with a supervisor or another officer;(9)(b) during a significant period of inactivity;(9)(c) during a conversation with a sensitive victim of crime, a witness of a crime, or an individual who wishes to report or discuss criminal activity if:(9)(c)(i) the individual who is the subject of the recording requests that the officer deactivate the officer’s body-worn camera; and(9)(c)(ii) the officer believes that the value of the information outweighs the value of the potential recording and records the request by the individual to deactivate the body-worn camera; or(9)(d) during a conversation with a victim of a sexual offense, as described in Title 76, Chapter 5, Part 4, Sexual Offenses, or domestic violence, as defined in Section 77-36-1, if:(9)(d)(i) the officer is conducting an evidence-based lethality assessment;(9)(d)(ii) the victim or the officer believes that deactivating the body-worn camera recording:(9)(d)(ii)(A) will encourage complete and accurate information sharing by the victim; or(9)(d)(ii)(B) is necessary to protect the safety or identity of the victim; and(9)(d)(iii) the officer’s body-worn camera is reactivated as soon as reasonably possible after the evidence-based lethality assessment is complete.(10) If an officer deactivates or fails to activate a body-worn camera in violation of this section, the officer shall document the reason for deactivating or for failing to activate a body-worn camera in a written report.(11)(11)(a) For purposes of this Subsection (11):(11)(a)(i) “Health care facility” means the same as that term is defined in Section 78B-3-403.(11)(a)(ii) “Health care provider” means the same as that term is defined in Section 78B-3-403.(11)(a)(iii) “Hospital” means the same as that term is defined in Section 78B-3-403.(11)(a)(iv) “Human service program” means the same as that term is defined in Section 26B-2-101.(11)(b) An officer may not activate a body-worn camera in a hospital, health care facility, human service program, or the clinic of a health care provider, except during a law enforcement encounter, and with notice under Section 77-7a-105.(12) A violation of this section may not serve as the sole basis to dismiss a criminal case or charge.(13) Nothing in this section precludes a law enforcement agency from establishing internal agency policies for an officer’s failure to comply with the requirements of this section.