Lt. Mike Richardson has been promoted to Deputy Chief of Operations at the University of Tennessee Police Department.

Richarson, who holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Liberty University and is a 2017 graduate of the FBI National Academy, has been with the department for 21 years, and has climbed through the ranks, starting on patrol in 2002.

For the past two years, he has been the Lieutenant in charge of special events, which ensures adequate staffing to provide a secure environment for hundreds of events held annually. Which include athletic events, concerts, and other special events on the University of Tennessee campus.

“I really am excited about this opportunity and looking forward to helping our patrol division and other areas of our department grow and thrive,” said Deputy Chief Mike Richardson. “Chief (Troy) Lane and Asst. Chief (Sean) Patterson share great visions for the department, and I am honored to be promoted in the role to help the department continue to thrive and grow.”

During his time in law enforcement, Richardson has worked in a variety of areas in the department, including patrol, public information officer, internal affairs, and accreditation. He has also worked as a defensive tactics’ instructor, de-escalation instructor, racial diversity & effective communications trainer, R.A.D (Rape Aggression Defense) instructor.

Richardson is also a recent graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police, which is a training program that provides senior level police executives with the latest management concepts and practices used in business and government. A few of those curriculum topics included skillful negotiation techniques, implicit bias, and strategies to accomplish organizational change.

“In my role here as chief, Mike has been an exemplary member of our department that has worked in a variety of capacities and has excelled in every one of those areas,” said Associate Vice Chancellor, Troy Lane. “He is an individual that others look up to, is well respected, and shows community-oriented policing on a daily basis.”

Newly  promoted Deputy Chief Mike Richardson is sworn in by Chief Troy Lane.