Colonel S. Duane Richens
Upon the appointment of Mike Chabries as Salt Lake City Police Chief in July 1988, Commissioner John T. Nielsen selected S. Duane Richens to serve as Superintendent. Richens joined the Patrol as a trooper in 1960. He worked his way up through the ranks and retired as lieutenant colonel in 1986. He was then appointed as communication coordinator for DPS, as a civilian. Duane Richens returned to police work to accept the appointment to Colonel effective July 27, 1988.
The criminal interdiction program continued to be a major priority during Colonel Richens’ administration. Colonel Richens stressed the need for computers in communications, and providing effective police services to the public. He advocated equipping every patrol car with mobile data terminals (MDTs). He noted that the only roadblock to such progress was funding from the legislature. During Colonel Richens’ administration, funding was one of his greatest challenges.