Salt Lake City Police State Drone Footage Retained Only as Evidence

Salt Lake City, UT, October 6, 2026 —

Salt Lake City police have clarified their policy regarding the use and retention of video footage captured by their drone operations. According to a statement from the department, video recordings from drone flights are exclusively kept if they are deemed to serve as evidence.

The department indicated that recordings are initiated and preserved under specific circumstances tied to their evidentiary value. Details regarding the specific criteria used to determine what constitutes evidence, the types of incidents that would prompt such recording, or the duration for which evidence is retained were not provided. The statement did not elaborate on the process of how flights are initiated or whether all flights are recorded, with only the retention of evidential footage being specified.

The Salt Lake City Police Department’s use of drones is part of its broader surveillance and operational capabilities. This latest statement aims to address public information regarding data handling practices related to these aerial assets. The exact technology employed for recording and storage was not detailed.

Information regarding any specific policies governing non-evidentiary footage, or whether such footage is deleted immediately after a flight concludes, was not available. Similarly, the statement did not include details on the contractor or manufacturer of the drone equipment used by the department.

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