Salt Lake City Police Detail Drone Footage Retention Policy

Salt Lake City, UT, October 6, 2026 — Salt Lake City police have clarified their policy regarding video footage captured by their drone units, stating that recordings are retained exclusively when they constitute evidence.

The department’s drones are equipped with filming capabilities, and their flights are logged. However, the policy dictates a strict retention protocol for the generated video data.

According to official statements from the Salt Lake City police, any video footage captured during drone operations is only preserved if it is deemed to be evidence. This means that footage not related to an ongoing investigation or not serving as proof for legal proceedings is not kept. The specific criteria for what constitutes ‘evidence’ were not detailed in the provided statement.

The duration for which video footage is retained if it is classified as evidence was also not specified. Similarly, details regarding the types of incidents that necessitate drone deployment and the subsequent evidentiary classification of footage were not provided. The statement focuses solely on the condition for retention: that the footage must be considered evidence. This approach aims to manage data storage and privacy concerns by ensuring that unneeded recordings are not kept.

This policy aims to provide transparency regarding the use and management of surveillance technology by law enforcement. Further details on the operational guidelines, data security measures, and oversight mechanisms for the police department’s drone program have not been made public.

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