Lynne Soderburg to take the reigns from Tom Dewey on Thursday
Staff Report
Humboldt Sentinel
There’s a new Chief on campus this week.
This Thursday, Humboldt State University president Rollin Richmond will swear in lieutenant Lynne Soderberg as the chief of the University Police Department. She’s been the second-in-command of the department since March 2007, and succeeds seven-year incumbent Tom Dewey.
Soderberg, an HSU graduate, is most notable in local law enforcement circles for her leadership role in the Humboldt County Crisis Intervention Team, formed to train and intervene in situations involving persons with mental illness with a non-violent approach. The CIT was awarded with the Patriot Award by the Redwood Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union in 2009 due to their successful prevention of further police slayings of mentally ill people following the death of Cheryl Moore at the hands of the Eureka Police Department; Soderberg accepted the award on behalf of CIT at the Redwood ACLU annual meeting in early 2010.
Born in Edmonton, Canada before moving to Arcata at the age of 12, Soderberg served in the ranks of EPD for 23 years, where she was named rookie of the year. After filling various postings as a field training officer, corporal, detective sergeant and field training program leader, she joined UPD and pursued additional education at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Vir. in 2008. Soderburg also received commendations from the Humboldt County Mental Health Board, the Humboldt County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council and the District Attorney’s Victim-Witness Program in her time at EPD and UPD.
Her predecessor, Dewey, is also an HSU alumnus and also served in other local law enforcement agencies, notably the Arcata Police Department. He also lead the local Law Enforcement Chiefs’ Association and provided critical support to the police review system adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2009.
In addition to his role leading on-campus security services, Dewey also headed up the Parking, Commuter Services and Alternative Transportation unit of HSU, where he implemented the Jack Pass system to provide universal bus passes to students and installed over 600 new bike racks on campus.
Soderberg’s swearing-in will take place on Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. in Goodwin Forum, located in Nelson Hall East next to the University Quad. Campus leaders as well as policemen and firemen from Arcata are expected to attend the ceremony, along with members of the public.
