Weeks after an unclaimed Flock camera was removed from Millcreek city property, a Utah lawmaker is planning a new bill to tighten state oversight of automated license plate readers, or ALPRs.

The camera was discovered in early August near 3220 South Highland Drive. Mayor Cheri Jackson confirmed that neither the Unified Police Department nor city departments knew who installed it or why. Jackson said in August that UPD had stopped using Flock and hadn't used the cameras for some time, and that Flock was supposed to retrieve its equipment after the contract ended, ABC4 reported. When the city removed the camera, it was not operating and was not collecting data.

Millcreek resident Shane Jolley said he became concerned after learning about the camera. He said he supports law enforcement using the technology to solve crimes but wants private networks subject to greater oversight.

"You can't go from here to Daybreak without being on 30 cameras, you know," Jolley told KUTV.

State Sen. Kathleen Riebe, who represents Millcreek, received more than 100 emails about license plate readers in a three-week span before Monday, Sept. 21, according to KUTV reporting.

Now the issue is moving toward a formal legislative response. Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Utah County, told KUTV 2News her new bill would safeguard privacy, keep ALPR data inside Utah and ensure accountability for police and others who hold the collected information. Her ALPR proposals failed in both the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

Chevrier said the effort is urgent because the technology keeps advancing. She raised questions about capabilities beyond plate reading, telling KUTV that some ALPR systems now include bullet detection, Bluetooth pickup from passing phones and the potential to capture pedestrian conversations. She noted the bullet-detection incident she cited did not happen in Utah but said there is no reason to believe those features won't appear here, KUTV reported.

Utah sheriffs are also engaging the issue. Tracy Glover, Kane County sheriff and president of the Utah Sheriff's Association, said sheriffs are working with the legislature on a cohesive policy. Key questions include what data vendors can access, how long agencies retain information and whether a warrant should be required to search the data, KUTV reported.

Sen. Calvin Musselman, R-West Haven, who chairs the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee, said the discussion is not about banning the readers but about establishing consistent rules.

A Utah Civic Compact open records request found that ALPR databases in Weber County were searched millions of times, mostly by out-of-state police departments. Current Utah law limits ALPR searches to active criminal investigations, outstanding warrants, missing or endangered persons and stolen vehicles.

The Utah Privacy Governing Board held a three-hour meeting Wednesday, Sept. 23, focused on ALPRs as it prepares new recommendations. Gov. Spencer Cox had asked the board and the Utah Privacy Commission to review all ALPR regulations and investigate how local agencies use the cameras.

No bill number or introduction date has been announced. Residents can contact the Millcreek City Council or the Utah Privacy Commission to share concerns about ALPR use in their community.