Utah Lawmakers Weigh Tightening Rules For Officer Hiring

A legislative committee this week approved a bill designed to prevent police officers under disciplinary investigation from jumping to another agency without a paper trail. The sponsor, Democrat Sen. Jani Iwamoto of Salt Lake City, said the bill would close loopholes in current law. She says if an officer resigns, retires or otherwise separates from an agency while an investigation is in progress, an agency would have 30 days to report it to Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training and provide all case files. The Utah League of Cities and Towns supports the concept of Iwamoto’s bill but has yet to take a position on it.