Heber City Council votes to conditionally approve new chief of police

Photo: Heber City Police

HEBER CITY, Utah – During the City Council session held on the evening of September 5, the Heber City Council granted conditional approval for Parker Sever to assume the role of Chief of Police in Heber City.

Sever’s appointment follows the retirement of former Chief Dave Booth, who will step down later this month. Sever is currently serving as the Chief of Police in Hanford, California.

Although Sever was selected by Mayor Heidi Franco and granted approval by the Heber City Council, he must still successfully complete the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) requirements before taking up the role.

Sever has a POST certification test scheduled for September 13. If he successfully passes the test, it will pave the way for contract negotiations between Sever and the Heber City Police Department, leading to the establishment of a starting date.

“I want to thank you very much. It’s a bit bittersweet since I will be leaving an agency that I love. I was very impressed with the officers, especially Branden Russell, and look forward to meeting and getting to know the Heber Valley Community,” Sever said in a Wasatch Wave facebook post.

In honor of Chief Booth’s years of service to the community, the Police Department is hosting a retirement part for Chief Booth on September 28 from 3-5 p.m. in the Heber City Public Safety Building’s community room.

In addition to the retirement party, Mayor Franco has proposed to rename Heber City’s Public Safety Building to the ‘David D. Booth Public Safety Building’ to honor Chief Booth’s years of service.

“We are safer today because of him. We thank him so much for professionalizing our Police Department to the highest standards,” Mayor Franco wrote in the most recent Mayor’s Minute newsletter.