A Letter from Mayor Trent Staggs and Police Chief Don Hutson

Riverton Police DepartmentDear Residents,

We look forward to marking the first anniversary of the Riverton Police Department on July 1. It’s been a phenomenal first year for the department. Our officers have been visibly present in our community as they have worked to build relationships, protect public safety and enforce the law.

In reflecting on our decisions to form our own department and our own law enforcement service area, the value our community has received from those decisions has been substantial. We have nine additional officers in our community today, a total of 35, for the same price we paid for 26 officers from our previous law enforcement service provider. Riverton property taxpayers are collectively saving $1.2 million dollars per year that would have otherwise been paid to the county law enforcement service area.

The feedback over the course of the last year from our citizens has been overwhelmingly positive. This feedback is a testament to the quality of officers who serve in our community.

Given current national events and circumstances regarding police use of force and racism, we wanted to review with you several of our policies and initiatives:

Use of Force Policy
Our officers have a duty to intervene when use of force is misused. They are required to stop or attempt to stop another officer when force is being inappropriately applied.

Our policy also prohibits any technique that inhibits breathing or restricts blood flow to the head of any subject, except for deadly force situations.

Body Cameras
All our officers are equipped with body worn cameras. All interactions with citizens are required to be recorded, with very few exceptions.

Bias Policy & Training

RPD is committed to policing that is fair and objective. Our officers are required to enforce the law equally, fairly and objectively without discriminating against any individual or group. Inappropriate reliance on protected characteristics such as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or affiliation with any non-criminal group is strictly prohibited. Officers contacting a person must articulate a sufficient reason for the contact, independent of the protected characteristics of the individual.

Our officers are trained to recognize and address issues related to bias-based policing. Supervisors periodically review body camera recordings and other available resources used to document contact between officers and the public to ensure compliance with this policy.

Hiring Practices

We believe that the key to avoiding situations like those that have occurred in our country related to police brutality begins with hiring the right people. We have worked diligently to identify and hire officers who have displayed a strong commitment to fair and objective policing.

Individual character is and will continue to be of utmost importance to us. We strive to build a culture in our department that facilitates good decision making and places an emphasis on serving the community.

Complaint Process

All complaints regarding services provided by the department and the conduct of its members are taken seriously. It is our policy that the community can report misconduct without any concern for reprisal or retaliation. The department accepts all complaints from the community and works to address them. Any member of the public wishing to register a complaint can: reach out to any officer at any time, call RPD at 385-281-2455, visit our office at 12810 S Redwood Road, or email us.
All complaints will be courteously accepted by any department member and promptly given to the appropriate supervisor for review.

Citizen’s Police Academy

We are excited to announce the launch of the Citizen’s Police Academy, a special opportunity to introduce community members to the operations of the police department. We are actively preparing a curriculum for dates this fall. The academy lasts for six weeks and provides opportunities for hands-on demonstration and active participation in police training scenarios. Anyone interested in participating this fall should express their interest to the city council member representing their district. This will be a great opportunity for anyone wanting to become more familiar with law enforcement. Programs like this will help the community and police department to more fully integrate and build a relationship based on trust.


In closing, we wanted to reiterate our commitment to offering the very best in police services to our community. We wanted to thank the citizens and businesses who have taken the time to reach out to the police department during these difficult times to offer their support. We are grateful to have such a supportive community and are grateful for the dedication of our officers. As long as our police department, community members and city government work together for the good of all, there is no challenge we cannot face or goal we cannot accomplish.

Yours in service,

Mayor Trent Staggs
Chief Don Hutson


Press / Media Contact:
pio@rivertonutah.gov
801-208-3189

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