This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to two bills attempting to place some checks on law enforcement use of search warrants.
SB82 (first substitute), which passed the House 67-3 and won unanimous final support in the Senate, would require officers to be clearly identified as law enforcement and wear body cameras, if available, when serving no-knock warrants. The bill would also restrict officers from forcibly entering a home in the case of a simple possession or use of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia.
"Essentially the bill reserves the right of the practice of no-knock warrants for the most serious and threatening circumstances," said the bill's House sponsor, Brad Last, R-Hurricane.
SB82 would also require the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to recommend guidelines and procedures regarding officers' use of force when executing warrants.
The second bill, SB226, would require law-enforcement officers to have a search warrant in order to use imaging surveillance devices, high-tech devices that use radar, sonar or infrared technology that allow the user to "see" inside a house without entering it. The bill, which passed both houses unanimously, would also require officers to notify an individual that the surveillance technique was used on their home within 14 days of the warrant being issued.
Both bills now are on the way to Gov. Gary Herbert.