Utah Highway Patrol

Issued vehicles and weapons

The UHP has a mixed fleet of vehicles: Ford CVPI, Dodge Charger, Chevy Z71 Suburbans, and multiple Dodge and Ford pickups. The UHP also issues its troopers take home cars, which can be used within 50 miles (80 km) of their assigned county. The large Ford Crown Victorias previously used statewide have been superseded by special-edition Ford Mustangs.

The UHP issues its state troopers the Glock 17 Gen 4 9mm caliber or Glock 18 9mm machine pistol (The Glock 18 is issued to Section 18: Governor's Security Detail Troopers only). (Troopers may also carry a personal weapon, provided it is chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 auto.). Troopers are also issued the Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun and each patrol vehicle carries a Colt AR-15/M4 carbine assault rifle. Prior to issuing AR-15's, The Patrol began participating in a program with the US Government and purchased surplus M-14 rifles. Troopers also carry tasers, expandable batons, and pepper spray. The UHP continues to issue and utilize the M-14 rifle, especially in rural areas of the state. The carbines are primarily issued to Troopers in urban and densely populated areas.

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Utah Highway Patrol, 16 officers have died while on duty.

DWI Task Force

The UHP has been involved in several incidents which have gained local news attention.

Nate Carlisle, in The Salt Lake Tribune, reported that: In a memo in 2010, "Sgt. Rob Nixon said he reviewed 20 of Steed's arrests for driving under the influence of drugs and found in seven of those cases, toxicology tests showed the driver had only a low amount of drugs, referred to as metabolite. Four other drivers had no drugs in their system, according to Nixon's memo. Yet in every case, Steed wrote reports claiming the drivers showed signs of impairment, such as dilated pupils and leg and body tremors. Nixon referred to "a pattern" of conflicting information between Steed's arrest reports and the laboratory results and said: "This is something that needs to be addressed before defense attorneys catch on and her credibility along with the DUI squad's credibility is compromised." UHP last year said they addressed some of Nixon's concerns with Steed, but apparently no formal review was done until Winward undertook it. Fuhr said the Winward review demonstrates Steed always had cause to suspect the person she arrested was impaired or otherwise not supposed to drive. Even in the few cases where the toxicology tests did not reveal drugs, an admission of recent drug use or other suspicious signs could be used as evidence to convict someone of a charge of driving with a controlled substance in their system. Also, the Nixon memo has been misinterpreted, Fuhr said. Nixon was not accusing Steed of arresting innocent people, but rather saying she sometimes arrested people on suspicion of the wrong charge. Utah has separate offenses for drivers under the influence of drugs and those who only have drugs in their system. Nixon's memo also described helping Steed arrest a man who showed little sign of impairment, but whom Steed reported to be exhibiting dilated pupils and tremors. Fuhr said Nixon got that case wrong, and pointed to documents saying the driver admitted to using meth two days earlier, and was "pretty hooked." Documents indicated he tested positive for meth. Steed's report said she also found a baggy with white powder and a pipe with meth residue. The court case was not so cut-and-dried. After that driver was charged in Salt Lake County Justice Court with misdemeanor DUI, drug possession and two traffic violations, charges were dismissed in 2011. A court docket says the prosecutor dismissed the charges for "evidentiary reasons." Attorneys in the case did not respond to messages seeking a further explanation. UHP did not make Nixon available for an interview with The Tribune. Hamilton said he has been unable to determine how many of Steed's arrests resulted in successful prosecutions. UHP has said it does not have those numbers. UHP is having to defend Steed in the civil rights lawsuit. Fuhr, who may give a deposition in that case, expressed frustration at news reports saying Steed was fired for making false arrests. She was fired for problems with her testimony, and UHP, Fuhr said, has not found evidence Steed manufactured evidence. "When these stories go out," Fuhr said of the false arrest allegations, "it hurts every single trooper."" Lisa Steed was named the Utah Highway Patrol trooper of the year in 2007 for her many many DUI arrests. She was the first woman to receive this award. In court March 27, 2012, Steed admitted she intentionally violated the agency's policies twice during a 2010 traffic stop.

Memorial crosses

On November 20, 2007, a judge ruled that the 14 white crosses erected by the Utah Highway Patrol Association could remain in place. An atheist group had filed suit, claiming the memorials were a violation of the separation of church and state. However, on 18 August 2010, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the white roadside crosses used to memorialize the deaths of 14 Utah Highway Patrol troopers are unconstitutional, government endorsements of religion on public lands. "We hold that these memorials have the impermissible effect of conveying to the reasonable observer the message that the state prefers or otherwise endorses a certain religion." The Utah Highway Patrol Association had claimed that "roadside crosses, in particular, are secular symbols," and have erected signs saying "not a state endorsement of any religion."

1-877-JAIL-FON

1-877-JAIL-FON was a service phone number created by the Utah Highway Patrol that allowed people to practice the "one phone call" from jail if arrested for a DUI (Driving Under the Influence of some substance that impairs driving ability). The Highway Safety Office hoped that the number would get people to think about all the consequences of drinking and driving as well as open a dialogue between friends. It was an approach to get attention and help prevent drunk driving. It targeted the 21-30 age group. A caller selected to speak with a choice of persons who were unhappy about the predicament, and was educated about DUI consequences in a humorous manner.