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The Duluth Police Department and Chief Mike Tusken selected and appointed Laura Marquardt to the position of Deputy Police Chief.  Marquardt, 46, is a 22 year veteran of the Duluth Police Department will assume command of the Investigative/Administrative Division of the Department.  Marquardt grew up in the Endion Neighborhood in Duluth and graduated from East High School.  After high school, she attended the college at the College of St. Scholastica where she graduated with a BA in Psychology.  She then attended and graduated from Range Technical College with an AA in Law Enforcement. 

Marquardt was hired by the Duluth police department is 1995 as a police officer.  She had a passion for investigations and served eleven years as an investigator in both Sex Crimes and Violent Crimes.  She was promoted to sergeant in 2011 and was assigned to supervise the Property and Evidence Crime Scene Investigations Unit. 

In September of 2014, Marquardt was promoted to lieutenant and served as an Administrative lieutenant overseeing technology, projects, the Animal Shelter, Internal Investigations and being a liaison to the Citizen Review Board. 

Marquardt also is the department lead for a multi-disciplinary team who is training officers in Critical Incident Training.  This training is given to officers to de-escalate encounters police have with persons suffering from mental illness.  This training is credited with reducing injuries to persons suffering from mental illness and police officers. 

Laura Marquardt commented on her promotion saying, “I am honored to be chosen by Chief Tusken to help lead our department towards accomplishing our mission and goals.  I cannot think of a greater opportunity than to continue to serve this city and its communities.  I look forward to working together with our DPD employees, community partners, and community members to tackle the challenges that will come our way.” 

“In looking for a deputy chief, I wanted a candidate who would complement me as a leader, challenge me to grow and help cover my blind spots,” said Chief Mike Tusken.  “I looked for someone who would offer critical feedback and divergent opinion necessary to make thoughtful policy decisions and develop best practices for our department.  Laura has and will continue to influence me and our department with her passion for policing, the people of this city and the great women and men of this organization.” 

Deputy Chief Nick Lukovsky will move from the Investigative and Administrative division to head up the Patrol Division.  He succeeds Mike Tusken who served nearly 10 years as the patrol deputy chief before his appointment to Chief of Police.