WWU swears in a new police chief. Here’s what to know about her

Western Washington University has a new chief of police, as Katryne Potts was sworn in this week, WWU said in its email newsletter, Western Today.

Potts is a 22-year veteran of law enforcement, WWU said.

She takes over from former Bellingham Police Department Chief Cliff Cook, who was the campus interim chief during a national search after former WWU Chief Darin Rasmussen was named WWU’s assistant vice president for risk, ethics, safety and resilience.

Potts joins WWU from Augusta University in Georgia, where she had served since 2019 as a training lieutenant and later captain of the school’s patrol division, according to her LinkedIn biography.

Before that, Potts served for more than 19 years in the police department of her hometown of Elgin, Illinois — starting as a patrol officer and leaving with the rank of lieutenant.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from DePaul University in Chicago and a master’s degree in criminology from Regis University in Colorado.