Lehi City News
LPD’s Darren Paul earns Utah Chiefs of Police top leadership award
The Utah Chiefs of Police Association (UCPA) recognizes outstanding leadership in law enforcement by awarding a “Police Chief of the Year” award. The most recent award was presented to Lehi Police Chief Darren Paul.
To win the UCPA’s “Police Chief of the Year” award, a chief must demonstrate exceptional leadership, commitment to their community, and a positive impact on their agency and the policing profession and meet specific criteria outlined by the association. The 2025 Chief of the Year Award (Large Agency) recipient, Police Chief Paul, was awarded at UCPA’s annual banquet in St. George. Paul was joined by his wife, Lehi City Mayor Mark Johnson, and city administrator Jason Walker. Members of the Lehi Police Department leadership also attended to honor Paul’s achievement.
“Each year, the association sends nomination forms to municipalities for large and small agencies. Large agencies are defined as employing 30 or more officers. The process [of naming a recipient] is through nomination forms, which are reviewed by UCPA’s Board of Directors, who select the award recipients,” said Paul.
Lehi Police Department has a legacy of honored leadership as former police chiefs Chad Smith and Karl Zimmerman have received the award in the past.
“I’m grateful for the nomination and that the mayor and council have confidence in our department and our work. Lehi Police Department has a great legacy of leadership. Chief Chad Smith and Chief Carl Zimmerman have both won the award in the past, and I feel honored to be recognized in the same category,” said Paul.
“Police work is a team sport; it takes the entire team to accomplish what our officers do. Lehi police officers do a great job, which makes my job easier. I am always grateful for their hard work and for the support from elected officials,” he added.
Paul has been Lehi’s Chief of Police since November 2014. He started his career with the department in July 1994. Paul has worked as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant and lieutenant. He has been chief of police for the last 11 years.
“Having been with Lehi Police for 31 years, I’ve always felt that Lehi supports local law enforcement,” said Paul. “I feel excited about serving our community every day.”
Paul feels that Lehi’s immense growth has been one of the biggest challenges in his role.
“The amount of growth in our community and meeting the needs of a rapidly growing population is challenging. We want to do our job well and meet the needs of our growing population, so we have to be strategic and work hard to do so. Lehi officers do a fantastic job, and we are always motivated by the positive community support,” said Paul.
The most rewarding part of serving Lehi is the positive relations he has witnessed between the community and the officers.
“I feel a lot of satisfaction watching the community interact with the police officers. At times, there may be interaction that is not positive, and we work to address those concerns, but when the interaction is positive, there is a great amount of success that comes from that,” said Paul. “The feedback we receive and knowing how much the community appreciates the efforts of our officers is the best part of my job.”
Paul was inspired to seek a career in law enforcement by his father, Tom Paul. His father spent his entire career in law enforcement with the Pleasant Grove Police Department. Tom Paul was the Police Chief for many years.
“Watching my dad help people and treat everyone respectfully taught me valuable life lessons. I admired my dad and his service to the community. People looked up to him, and so did I. His example inspired me to be better and follow his path of public service. I try to emulate his example of service,” said Paul.
“My dad steered me to the Lehi community. He felt it would be a great community to serve. I moved to Lehi and started at Lehi Police right out of the academy. I was young and knew no one, but I felt welcomed here. I have become immersed in the community. I met my wife in Lehi, and we raised our kids in Lehi. This is a great place to live and to serve,” said Chief Paul. “Becoming a part of the Lehi community has been very rewarding.”
Chief Paul feels the Lehi Police Department is equipped with talented, hardworking police officers and personnel. Difficulty recruiting and retaining personnel can be attributed to the significant development and booming population across the state.
“It is competitive to recruit quality personnel with Utah’s growth; that is why we focus our recruiting efforts within the community, where candidates are likely to stay in Lehi. Building on strong ties to the area improves retention,” said Paul. “We are interested in hiring locals who understand the community and are in tune with local values.”
Lehi officers are committed to serving the community. They truly desire to serve the citizens and make this city a better place. I hope to influence the officers I serve to be community-oriented and engage with residents. I want to build bridges and positive relationships,” said Paul.
“Lehi Police Department is special because they care about the city and those they serve. I am grateful to work with them and serve alongside them. I am also grateful for the support we receive from the public and from the city. We will work hard to continue to meet expectations,” concluded Paul.
