Commissioner Keith D. Squires
Commissioner Keith D. Squires
Governor Gary R. Herbert appointed Keith Squires to serve in his cabinet as Utah’s Commissioner of Public Safety in June 2013. Commissioner Squires is responsible for the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS), which consists of the Utah Highway Patrol, State Bureau of Investigation, State Crime Lab, Statewide Information and Analysis Center, Bureau of Criminal Identification, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Division of Emergency Management, Peace Officer Standards and Training, Driver License Division and Highway Safety Division. Utah DPS provides statewide public safety services with over 1,500 employees, of which 520 are sworn state law enforcement officers. Squires additionally serves as the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor and has extensive experience in state and local law enforcement and public safety services. He has promoted through all ranks of DPS during his career and served in key agency positions, including Deputy Commissioner, Director of the State Bureau of Investigation, Assistant Superintendent of the Utah Highway Patrol and Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
Squires is recognized nationally for his expertise in various law enforcement and homeland security services. He currently serves on the following committees: National Governors Association Homeland Security Advisors Council (Chair 2011-2012), National Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council (Chair 2012-2013), U.S. Director of National Intelligence State and Local, Law Enforcement Partners Advisory Board, Rocky Mountain Information Network Executive Policy Board, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Executive Board and the Utah Emergency Management Administrative Council (Co-Chair with Lt. Governor).
Squires holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration and a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Defense from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. His 2009 masters thesis is titled Critical Accountability: Preventing and Interdicting Terrorist Activity in the U.S. by Effectively Utilizing State and Local Law Enforcement. Squires is a 2004 graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session 216 in Quantico, VA. He is also a 2014 graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute, Session 37.