S.L. Police chief announces retirement

Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse, under whose watch the city hosted the Winter Olympics and the high-profile criminal cases of Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping and the Lori Hacking slaying occurred, announced Wednesday he plans to retire by early next year.

"It was a very difficult decision," he said in a telephone interview. "If I didn't go public I may not have made (the decision) ever."

Dinse admitted his public announcement was "a little premature." A memo intended to be e-mailed only to employees within the department was accidently sent to members of the media Wednesday morning.

But he said at least this way he wouldn't back out of his decision.

Dinse said he informed Mayor Rocky Anderson of his decision last week. He said he wanted to give the mayor ample time to find his replacement.

Dinse said he had been toying with the idea of retiring for awhile.

"I've got 40 years in the business. I think it's time to try something different." he said. "Retirement is something I've been looking forward to."

Dinse said he wanted to spend more time with his family, including his new granddaughter, and travel. But he said he wasn't closed to the idea of working again.

If an offer came up to work in the areas of Homeland Security or emergency preparedness he'd be willing to listen, he said.

Dinse became Salt Lake City's police chief in 2000 after spending 34 years with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Although his tenure with Salt Lake City was short, it was very active. The 2002 Olympics were held, Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped then found, and Lori Hacking's body was found in the local landfill and her husband arrested then sentenced to prison for the murder all happened while he headed the department.

"Those cases were high profile and certainly had some scrutiny that occurred, in Smart case particularly. I don't see those as anything negative. There were things to be learned from all of the cases. I see those as accomplishments not negatives," Dinse said.

The people he worked with in Salt Lake City were the highlight of his career, he said.

"They are exceptional. They have made this department one of the best of its size in the nation," Dinse said.

Dinse said he wouldn't pick an exact date of retirement until some time later.

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