The first thing new Sedona Police Chief Raymond Cota will do in his position is listen to the community to realize its concerns.

Cota started work in Sedona on Monday, July 5, after moving to the city June 23.

After serving as a captain with the Corona Police Department in Southern California for several years, he said the time was right to seek a police chief position.

“I truly love the profession,” he said when talking about law enforcement. “I have always enjoyed being involved.”

What the new police chief enjoys most is no one day is the same in this profession.

After 31 years as a California police officer, Cota said he was not ready to call it a career and started looking around for police chief positions, believing he could help guide a department to new heights.

He realizes the Sedona Police Department recently experienced reduction in forces, but said this department is no different from other agencies across the nation because the economy is affecting everyone.

While he has been involved in law enforcement his entire adult life, Cota did not grow up wanting to be a police officer and instead dreamed of working as a studio musician.

He took a few criminal justice classes in college, and the police officers teaching the courses piqued his interest in law enforcement.

He said his immediate plan as the new chief is to ask many of questions his fellow officers and the community.
“I really want to understand how things are done and why they are done [that way],” he said.

Focusing on how the department does its job is another priority for Cota, who said he wants to engage officers in the process when identifying any tweaks or changes he’ll make.

After becoming an officer 31 years ago, Cota said he never thought about moving up through the ranks until much later in his career.

Cota said crime statistics alone show Sedona is one of the safest cities in the nation, and he credits the work of officers in accomplishing this.

He said this can only be done if there is a police force willing to take the extra step. The police department cannot do it alone.

Cota said he and the police commanders are already talking about Senate Bill 1070, the immigration law, and how the police department plans to enforce the law if it does go into effect at the end of July.

He said the police department wants to ensure officers have a solid understanding of how to enforce the new law and training methods are being reviewed.

A priority to Cota is making sure everyone in the community is treated fairly and with respect.

He also said he and his wife, Rebecca, are leasing a home in Sedona, and added he knows the majority of his staff do not live in the city.

The length of time Cota will stay in Sedona could be long, he said. He will stay as long as the city wants him and as long as he can be productive.