This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A recent promotion at the Salt Lake City Police Department marks the first time in its history that a civilian has been given an upper leadership position on the police force.
Police Chief Chris Burbank named Krista Dunn the Deputy Chief over Administrative Services.
Dunn, a 14-year employee of the department but not a sworn officer, will oversee the agency's budgets, grants and finances. She is one of four assistant chiefs overseeing specialized bureaus within the department.
Dunn has worked to secure important grants to the department, including one that led to the Crisis Intervention Team, a program that trains officers how to respond to mental health related incidents.
As deputy chief, Dunn also will oversee the police department's $55 million budget, and the civilian and sworn officers within such divisions as records, public relations and crime analysis.
"The modern day police department needs a broader vision of what it means to manage public safety as part of the community," Burbank said in a statement Thursday. "We need to reflect the partnership we expect from the public inside the walls of the organization."
Dunn said Thursday that she hoped to bring an equilibrium of training and development to both the civilians and officers under her command.
"On the street, officers have a unique role in which they take charge," she said, "but inside the organization, we're all colleagues with interdependent tasks that are crucial to the success of the overall organization."
Twitter: @KimballBennion