The city of Sedona will lose its police chief after Charles Husted announced his retirement in mid-July after three years in Sedona and an overall 34-year career.

“I’ve come to understand over the years that serving and protecting others through my role in public safety is how my adult life was intended,” Husted said. “However, living and leading my life with such a focus on serving others, I’ve placed my family and myself secondary. I believe firmly that selfless service and sacrifice are how one should live their life, although doing so consis­tently for many years places hardships on a person’s personal life. The culmination of these personal sacri­fices reached a tipping point recently, which made me realize now is the time to retire.”

After taking over as chief in 2019 when then-Chief David McGill left the department, the city excitedly welcomed Husted, who came with over 31 years of police work experience from the Sacramento Police Department in California.

Now that he is taking a step back into retirement, the city will be looking to replace him with a chief just as experienced, or more.

“We have already begun the search for his replace­ment and he has agreed to assist with that process,” City Manager Karen Osborn said. “We will be accepting initial applications through June 12.”

This will be the city’s fifth Police Chief since 2010. After former Chief Joe Vernier resigned in 2010, followed by Ray Cota’s resignation in 2016, McGill’s retirement in 2018 and former SPD Cmdr. Ron Wheeler’s service as two-time interim chief, Husted came along for his three years in the department.

With the position’s salary listed higher than the national average for a police chief at $135,000 to $164,000, depending on qualifications, with full benefits, it may seem like a high-demand job. But if Wheeler’s time with Sedona is any indication, it may take an interim chief to buy time before a formal replacement is found.

This will not be an issue for Husted as he plans to spend quality time with his family as well as focusing on his fitness and well-being throughout his retirement.

“A successful police chief must also have the desire and ability to connect with and build trusting relation­ships within the community they serve,” Husted said. “A successful police chief is a professional who has a proven history of idea generation, innovation and excellence. The police department and community look to the police chief to lead them into the future of policing.”

Husted’s last day with the department is the second week of July. City council members expressed their gratitude to him at their latest budget work session meeting where Husted touched on the future retire­ments in the department for this year.

“While Chief Husted’s departure is a big loss for the community and our organization, we are also fortunate that he is leaving the department better than where he found it in terms of professionalism, level of service and community relations,” Osburn said. “The depart­ment is positioned for even greater future success as a direct result of his work these last three years.”