As a city council member in Riverton, Utah, I spend a lot of time thinking about what it takes to keep our community safe and how to do that in a way that respects the values we share. As a father, I spend even more time thinking about what it takes to keep my family safe and prosperous.
A little over two years ago, the neighborhood I live in was shaken by a homicide. An alleged drug deal gone bad left our peaceful community forever altered by the violence. In the weeks after the crime, I fielded calls from constituents who were afraid to let their kids play outside, and I spoke with widows who were nervous about being alone in their own homes. I worked to calm fears and advocate for community needs. Experiences like that are painful reminders that violent crime is not abstract. It is real, it is deeply personal and disruptive, and it leaves lasting scars on the people and places it touches.
In a place like Riverton, safety is personal. We know our neighbors. We see each other at school events, on weekends at church and around town. Like any close-knit community, when something goes wrong, it hits close to home.
Unfortunately, recent events across Utah have been a stark reminder that serious crime and emergencies can happen anywhere, and when they do, time matters.
We have seen law enforcement respond to tragic violence, including the recent triple homicide in central Utah that prompted a multi-agency manhunt. We’ve also seen how quickly situations can escalate across state lines, like in the recent Amber Alert that began in Utah and ended hours later with a 13-year-old child safely recovered in Colorado. In cases like these, seconds can mean the difference between life and death.
That’s why speed and coordination are not optional; they are essential. In order to tackle crimes like this, our police officers need modern tools.
Today, one of the most important tools helping law enforcement meet that moment is License Plate Reader (LPR) technology. Systems like those provided by companies such as Motorola Solutions and Flock Safety allow officers to quickly identify vehicles connected to serious crimes, locate missing people and recover stolen property. They help turn scattered information into actionable leads in real time. In fact, tools like these have already played a role in helping law enforcement act faster and more effectively in cases just like the ones we’ve seen here in Utah, including the homicide in my neighborhood.
Lives have been changed and our community is safer because critical technology is available to our police officers.
In Riverton, LPR technology has helped solve serious cases. The technology has been used to bring a kidnap victim home from another state and was critical in bringing about multiple arrests and charges in cases of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor. Riverton Police have safely and quickly apprehended an attempted murder suspect using LPR technology, arrested several burglary suspects, recovered multiple stolen vehicles, and solved several hit-and-run cases, all with the help of this revolutionary technology. Each case involving LPR technology involves real people in our community. These aren’t just theoretical results; real Utahns, our neighbors, are able to put back the pieces of their lives and find justice more swiftly. Lives have been changed, and our community is safer because critical technology is available to our police officers.
At the same time, I understand why some people have questions. Any technology that collects data deserves scrutiny, and those concerns should be taken seriously. But this isn’t a choice between safety and privacy. In Riverton, we expect both. There are significant guardrails in place for the safe and responsible management of sensitive data.
Public safety is one of government’s most sacred responsibilities, and at the local level, that means ensuring the well-being of our citizens and the neighborhoods in our community using all available resources, including modern tools. As a city leader and a father, I’m committed to policies that strengthen communities and preserve liberties enshrined in the Constitution. That means using tools like LPRs in a focused and responsible way, with clear policies, limited data retention and strong local oversight. These are decisions best made at the local level, where communities can set the rules and ensure accountability.