Taylorsville appoints chief for its new police department

Taylorsville has appointed a new police chief for its new police department, but he’s no newcomer to the city: Tracy Wyant has been the Unified Police Department’s Taylorsville precinct chief for the past eight years.

He was also born and raised in Taylorsville, according to the city.

“He has done an outstanding job as Taylorsville’s precinct chief since 2012, and we know our new department will continue to be in good hands under his leadership,” Mayor Kristie Overson said in a statement.

In June, the city announced that it will leave UPD on July 1, 2021 — both to cut costs and to establish more control over its police force, according to Overson. It will be the second time Taylorsville has established its own police department. When the city incorporated in 1996, it contracted with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, then formed an independent police department in 2005. In 2012, it joined UPD — a move that then-Mayor Russ Wall argued would save the city money.

Overson appointed Wyant, with the advice and consent of the City Council, without going through an extended search process.

“We knew Chief Wyant was the one and that he was our top choice,” Overson said. “As such, we did not feel it was fair to put others through an unnecessary hiring process. Chief Wyant has proven his worth and has been with Taylorville since the beginning.”

He has served as the Taylorsville precinct chief throughout the eight years that the city has contracted with UPD, and Wyant was a member of the former Taylorsville police department before it was absorbed by UPD in 2012. He’s worked in law enforcement for 23 years in Taylorsville, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and UPD.

“As a cop who’s worked assignments ranging from community policing outreach to narcotics and fugitives, I know the value of proactive, results-oriented policing for our community,” Wyant said in a statement, adding, “as challenging as things are currently in law enforcement, we are equally presented with opportunities for growth.”

Taylorsville will join three other cities — Cottonwood Heights, Herriman and Riverton — that have left UPD to form their own departments. After Taylorsville leaves, UPD will continue to police unincorporated areas of Salt Lake County, along with the cities of Holladay, Midvale and Millcreek and the townships of Copperton, Kearns, Magna and White City.