As he walked down the halls of the Sedona Police Department, reality was settling in for Charles Husted. He was hired as the department’s new chief in March, but Monday, April 22, was his official first day on the job. 

“It’s starting to sink in,” Husted said last week. “In preparing for this position and the process, I really had to think a lot about what’s important to me when it comes to law enforcement and leadership. Now, being the guy in charge, it’s really sunk in that I need to really know where I’m at to convey that to the team and partner with them to decide where we’re going as a city and as an organization. It’s a little scary but, at the same time, very exciting.” 

He replaces David McGill, who departed in November. Since then, former Chief Ron Wheeler has stepped in on an interim basis for the second time in as many years. 

Being a first-time chief, Husted said he appreciates the fact that he’s not coming into a broken situation but rather a well-run department with dedicated and experienced individuals.

After spending his entire 31 years in law enforce¬ment with the Sacramento Police Department in California — rising to the rank of captain — he said it was time to look elsewhere. He contemplated retirement and maybe teaching at the police academy. But at 50, he said he was looking for more. 

“My wife and I had fallen in love with Northern Arizona a few years ago,” he said. “So we knew that, when the time came to leave California, this is where we were coming. But I didn’t have a timeline. I loved my career, so there was nothing pushing us to leave other than our own desire to make a change. I call it Life 2.0. I love what I do and I’m so excited to be here. I couldn’t have scripted this any better.” 

Because of their new-found love for Northern Arizona, when the position became available, it was an easy decision to apply. But becoming a police chief was never on his radar nor did he aspire to be one. 

“I did my due diligence in regard to the city and department and I really started getting excited,” he said. “I thought that, rather than moving to Arizona and doing law enforcement training after leaving California, I could still be involved in policing in a great location and with a wonderful department. I thought, worse case, they say no and we’d eventually move to Northern Arizona for Life 2.0.” 

Following a lengthy hiring process, City Manager Justin Clifton said it was worth the wait. 

“Charles has exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills that will serve Sedona well,” Clifton said in March. “In all my years hiring top positions, I’ve never seen a broader consensus on a candidate, which is saying a lot given that we had an exceptionally talented group of contenders.” 

Husted admitted the hiring process was a bit stressful and hectic, being it’s been three decades since he last applied for a job. And once he began moving forward through that process and getting excited about the possibility of moving here, he decided it was best to start the retirement process from Sacramento PD. 

“So I decided regardless if I got hired or not, it was irrelevant — I was going to retire and move to Arizona,” he said. “These opportunities are few and far between and I knew I had to follow my heart. We live in this big, beautiful world and my wife and I decided it was time to experience a little more of it.” 

Coming from a department the size of Sacramento to one a fraction of that doesn’t concern Husted, but he knows it will take some adjustment. He said the biggest learning curve will be to learn the department, the people and the city. 

“Police work is police work regardless of the size of the organization,” he said. “I’m not a come in and turn over the apple cart kind of guy. I’m a collaborative leader and some¬body who wants to work with others to determine what’s best for the agency and community.” 

Husted will be the fourth person — including Wheeler — to sit behind the chief’s desk in less than three years. That’s not something he takes lightly nor is the importance of establishing stability. 

“That is of the upmost importance,” he said. “There’s that plus ‘here comes another guy from California’ kind of thing. My intention and goal early on is to build relationships and trust, both of which are essential when talking about leadership. Trust is earned and not something I’ll get simply because I’m chief. Trust is based on relationships. My intention is to be here for the long run.” 

Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 122 or by email at reland@larsonnewspapers.com