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Senate circles bill allowing more unmarked highway-patrol vehicles after safety and process debate
Summary
Senate debated SB 106, which would permit the Utah Highway Patrol to use additional unmarked vehicles; concerns about safety, potential for misuse and process led the body to circle the bill for further work.
Senator Herb Bramble introduced SB 106 at the request of the Utah Highway Patrol, saying the agency sought additional unmarked vehicles to reduce aggressive driving and crashes on interstates. Bramble said other law-enforcement agencies face no limits on unmarked vehicles and proposed safeguards introduced in committee—a requirement for quarterly reporting (April, July, October) and a three-year sunset provision—to limit risk.
Several senators voiced safety and civil-liberty concerns. Senator Hickman described the risk of civilians being stopped by vehicles they cannot identify and recounted incidents where individuals posing as officers used unmarked vehicles to commit robberies. He called the proposal a ‘‘camel’s nose’’ issue and warned against a broad allowance without stronger guardrails. Senator Hilliard and others said the highway patrol has a legitimate enforcement role and that occasional unmarked operations can address aggressive driving behaviors that marked cars do not deter.
After extended debate and discussion about possible committee amendments and monitoring, Senator Valentine moved to circle SB 106 for further work; the motion passed and the bill was circled for follow-up rather than debated to final passage that morning.
