Director finds Emery County conducted reasonable GRAMA search; denies request for additional certified catalog/GPS query

The director denied an appeal by a petitioner who alleged missing dispatch logs and body-worn camera footage in a theft investigation, finding that Emery County conducted a reasonable search in response to the GRAMA request. The director acknowledged the petitioner's concerns about truncated logs and supplemental disclosures but concluded the evidence presented did not show records were improperly destroyed or concealed; the petitioner may submit a new, targeted request for catalog or GPS searches.

Petitioner Mister Stoddard said his John Deere bulldozer (which he said was valued at more than $40,000) was stolen on March 2 and that dispatch logs and an officer's body camera recording cut off mid-incident. He asked the committee to order a certified search across the sheriff's catalogs, Axon repositories and AVL/GPS data for the relevant dates. "On 03/02/2026, my company's John Deere bulldozer valued over $40,000 was stolen in Emery County," Stoddard told the panel and outlined discrepancies between initial disclosures and a later supplemental report.

County representative Crossland said the sheriff's office conducted a thorough search, provided all responsive records and even created follow-up records (a July 16 follow-up visit) to accommodate Stoddard's concerns; she offered to investigate whether catalog entries or edit histories exist. The director found the county's search reasonable within the scope of the original request and denied the appeal, noting that the specific catalog/GPS queries Stoddard sought would be an appropriate subject for a new request.