The Park City Police Department and Summit County Sheriff’s Office are not providing data from license plate readers or any other form of direct assistance to federal immigration authorities, including those employed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The two departments issued a joint press release on Monday to combat rumors swirling through the Summit County community after ICE agents detained a Park City High School graduate last week. The incident sparked concerns that local law enforcement was sharing access to cameras and license plate reader information with the federal authorities to help with their investigations.
“That characterization is not accurate,” the press release said. “At no time did Summit County or Park City personnel conduct a targeted search, real-time tracking or investigative actions using (license plate reader) systems on behalf of federal immigration authorities in this case.”
The press release said both departments use license plate readers as a tool to “support local public safety efforts,” including regional investigations. The software used by the agencies is “deployed by thousands of law enforcement agencies across the state and nation,” with the ability to share collected data with other departments listed as a “key” feature.
“This capability significantly enhances investigative efforts by allowing agencies to collaborate and track suspects across jurisdictions, including violent offenders who flee the state,” the release said. “Our offices maintain that preserving this data-sharing capability is essential to maximize the effectiveness of this technology in protecting public safety.”
All agencies participating in the data-sharing network are required to operate under a memorandum of understanding, “which requires that shared data be used strictly for legitimate law enforcement purposes,” according to the press release.
“The (memorandum) further prohibits the use or dissemination of information for any unethical, illegal, criminal or commercial purposes,” the press release said. “Our offices remain committed to transparency, the lawful use of technology and maintaining public trust while fulfilling our responsibilities to public safety.”
The agencies’ statement followed the detainment of Lisandro Pantaleon Pacheco, a Park City High School graduate who was stopped by ICE agents on his way to work in Kimball Junction last week.
Adam Crayk, Pacheco’s attorney, held a press conference the next day and told media outlets that Pacheco had no criminal history other than a speeding ticket. He said Pacheco’s mother brought him to the United States when he was only 1 year old, which he argued was a misdemeanor committed by an infant.
Crayk and Pacheco’s family emphasized Pacheco’s involvement in the Park City community, his time in the local school district and Pacheco’s expected graduation from the University of Utah last Friday throughout the press conference.
However, ABC 4 reported over the weekend that Pacheco was not currently enrolled in the University of Utah and did not qualify for graduation. Crayk, in a statement to the Salt Lake media outlet, said Pacheco had run out of funds to pay for his education and hadn’t told his family or friends “because of the pressure.”
Crayk said Pacheco called his parents and girlfriend the night after the press conference to tell them he had been lying and to apologize.
Some Parkites attended the press conference last week to support Pacheco and advocated for his release online, with a fundraiser to cover his legal costs garnering $28,000 in only a few days. Donations have since been paused, even though the fundraiser is less than $2,000 away from reaching its $30,000 goal.
The description of the fundraiser has not been updated to explain the change, and the organizer has not responded to a request for comment as of Tuesday afternoon.