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Riverton hires police chief to lead formation of new department

Posted at 6:19 PM, Dec 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-12 20:19:03-05

RIVERTON, Utah — Riverton City Council announced in July they would withdraw from Unified Police. It was a unanimous vote.

Until October of this year, Riverton has been negotiating with UPD about financial management and organization governance. Now, Riverton City has accomplished its first step – hiring a chief of police.

According to a press release, Riverton has selected Don Hutson as the new chief of police to oversee the formation of the new Riverton Police Department. The Riverton City Council unanimously consented in favor of Hutson after Mayor Trent Staggs appointed him.

“We are thrilled to welcome Don Hutson as the new chief of police in Riverton,” Staggs said. “He brings with him the experience, skill set, and network needed to set up a thriving police department. I have no doubt he will serve the citizens of our city exceptionally well in this role.”

Hutson currently serves as the City of Holladay precinct chief in the Unified Police Department, a position he has held for three years. Before his current position, Hutson served in several other capacities with UPD and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, including a drug enforcement task force officer, narcotics unit detective, gang unit detective and S.W.A.T. team member. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Hutson was selected from a pool of 60 candidates and will begin work as the Riverton Chief of Police shortly after the new year. His main focus at the beginning will be getting the new police department up and running within a six-month period.

“The opportunity of starting a police department from the ground up is something that I couldn’t pass up,” Hutson said. “I look forward to creating a department that proactively serves the Riverton community, places high value on our officers, and provides the best law enforcement service for our citizens.”

UPD will continue to serve as Riverton’s law enforcement until July 2019.