Holladay welcomed Unified Police Department Captain Don Hutson to serve as the Police Chief for the City of Holladay on Aug. 16, replacing Chief Chris Bertram. 

“I am humbled and excited to be afforded this great opportunity. It will be a challenge to follow in the footsteps of the former chief, but I look forward to continuing the current initiatives and identifying even more opportunities to enhance public safety and quality of life,” Hutson said. 

He views his role as chief to be founded on the development of quality relationships through productive interactions with all residents.

Don Hutson has served as a law enforcement officer in Utah for 27 years. He began his career as a corrections officer working at the Utah State Prison in 1988 and was selected to be a member of the Department of Corrections Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) after one year.  

He served on SWAT for three years before being hired by the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 1992.  He has worked in many different assignments during his 23 years with the Sheriff’s Office and the Unified Police Department. 

He worked in the Gang Suppression Unit and as a detective assigned to the West Patrol Gang Unit, while simultaneously serving on the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT for five years.  He worked narcotics investigations and was assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Interdiction Unit at the Salt Lake Airport. 

He worked as a patrol supervisor in Millcreek and Holladay before being assigned as the Jail Investigations Unit Sergeant, responsible for all criminal investigations occurring in the jail. He has been assigned as an administrative lieutenant to Sheriff Winder and served as the public information officer and spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office and the Unified Police Department during the transition to this innovative law enforcement model.  

Most recently, he was the commander of the Investigations Division and the Professional Standards Division before his promotion and assignment to the City of Holladay. Don received his bachelor’s in business administration-finance from Utah State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.  He has been married to his wife, Lisa, for nearly 30 years and they have two adult children. He currently resides in Murray, Utah.

School safety has been a primary focus during Hutson’s first weeks on the job. A third school resource officer has been assigned full time at Olympus Junior High School to give a constant presence in the three secondary education venues. A top priority is adherence to school zone speed limits and a focus on parking issues in the vicinity of crosswalks near elementary schools to ensure children are safe as they travel to and from school.

Hutson is committed to increasing positive interactions between the police officers assigned to the Holladay Precinct and the residents of Holladay. 

“I believe that commitment begins with me and I am always looking for opportunities to engage with community groups, attend special events, or just listen to the concerns of an individual,” Hutson said.