After a 34-year career, Sedona Police Department Chief Charles Husted has learned a thing or two about policing. Now he will take on a new role as he retires to spend more time focusing on family and himself.
“You always hope that your work had a positive impact on someone’s life in a meaningful way,” Husted said. “So in a small way, in my area of influence, the reward for me is feeling like I’ve somehow been able to give back, to support and make society just a little bit better within my space.”
Husted’s interest in police work began after he started working as a Community Service Officer during his time at a junior college in Sacramento, Calif. A recruiter from the Sacramento Police Department invited students from Husted’s criminal justice class to apply for the entry-level position where students worked part-time during the school year and full-time during breaks.
“I had no aspirations of being a police officer. But when [the recruiter] mentioned this entry-level position, I was doing the quick math because I had three part-time jobs, in fast food, at the gas station and delivering newspapers,” Husted said. “I quickly realized that I could make more money doing that one job and work fewer hours than all my other jobs. So it made sense, and I told my friend …. So we both applied for that purpose, only to get just a better temporary job until we could pursue our dreams.”
After Husted got accepted, he began the police academy as part of the mandatory training for the position. Soon after Husted changed his dream from being a pediatrician to helping children and the community differently as a police officer.
Throughout his career with the Sacramento Police Department, Husted served as a community service officer, a patrol officer in the Neighborhood Patrol Officer Program, a K-9 handler and a homicide detective. After being promoted to sergeant, Husted ran the city’s school resource officer program.
From there, he worked in a few different roles and gained more promotions before finally accepting the role as captain where he served over the east-side command.
“I was assigned to our east command, [the city is] divided in quarters,” Husted said “And it was my dream job because the east command encompassed the area in which I grew up, where I went to elementary school, junior high, high school, my sister’s house and a lot of friends. My whole life pretty much was in the east command. And so now I was in charge of this entire quarter of the city.”
After spending a few years in that role, Husted started looking into the position as Sedona’s police chief. And after falling in love with the city during a visit with his wife, Maria, they decided to make the move in March 2019.
But even after his three decades in police work, Husted was quick to remember his favorite case of his career from years ago as a canine handler.
“There are so many rewarding and incredible experiences. But there is one experience that will always stay with me,” Husted said. “A detective from the Denver Police Department had called our department asking us to go by a location and make contact with the residents to see if they had any information regarding a baby that had been kidnapped from there.”
Eventually, Husted located the baby at the residence and took it into custody. He then contacted the city’s Child Protective Services only to find out that it would take up to a week to return the baby to her family.
Husted decided to not release the baby to CPS but instead fly to Denver the next day making sure the baby got back to her family as soon as possible.
“I’m not saying anything bad would have happened to her, but I had the opportunity to help change her circumstance,” Husted said. “And now, rather than being home in a week, she was home the same day. So you find out your baby has been found, and now you got to wait a week before she comes home. That’s not OK in my mind. So I would say that’s one of those circumstances and experiences that was very rewarding for this career, and I’ll always cherish that.”
But despite his long career, Husted is the first to admit that being a police officer is difficult, especially when seeing the vast amount of issues in the community.
“I think the hardest part has been not every person and every system and every organization are committed to solving the root causes of problems,” Husted said. “And I’m talking about societal problems, such as issues with poverty, issues with racism, mental illness, these kinds of things. And these are not police issues solely. Police is a small segment. We often get called because nobody knows who else to call. But these are societal problems that have root causes. Let’s peel away the layers and work together collectively as partners in all of our areas of expertise and influence.”
Many of the city staff members sent Sedona Red Rock News their well-wishes for Husted as he moves into his retirement and new community in Prescott.
⬛ “I have enjoyed working with Chief Husted for the last several years,” Sedona Fire Chief Jon Trautwein said. “He is a great leader, police officer and friend. I wish him and his wife the very best.”
⬛ “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 — and the department is positioned for even greater future success as a direct result of his work these last three years,” Sedona City Manager Karen Osburn said.
⬛ “I have truly enjoyed working with Chief Husted during my time with the city of Sedona,” Deputy City Manager Joanne Keene said. “Chief Husted’s work on emergency management and building relationships with our regional partners has taken the city to a new level of preparedness. He has left a lasting legacy and will be missed.”
⬛ “It has been a real pleasure to work with Chief Husted, he has truly advanced the department in meaningful ways in a relatively short time, and we were very lucky to have him with us,” Mayor Sandy Moriarty said. “His legacy will be felt for years to come, and while I am sorry to lose him, I am happy that he and his family can finally enjoy a well-deserved retirement and wish him only the best, always.”
⬛ “I have found Chief Husted to be a leader who has a genuine concern for his staff. He is enthusiastic about law enforcement and brought his many years of experience to the Sedona Police Department,” SPD Lt. Karl Waak said. “He had a real passion for the people of Sedona and his service to the community did not end with the close of business. When I had questions or needed advice, he was always available to give his opinion or make me approach things from a different viewpoint. His enthusiasm and sense of humor will be missed.”
The City Manager’s Office and Osburn have been working to fill the role and will announce the new police chief in the next few weeks following the decision and before the Husted’s last day on Sept. 1.*
“I would like to thank the Sedona community for being so supportive of not only myself but of our police department and our first responders,” Husted said. “And to thank our talented team here at the Sedona Police Department for doing the good work and continuing to serve with a selfless heart. I’m just very thankful to have had this opportunity, and I just hope and pray that the department will continue the direction and great work that we’ve been doing.”
* Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, Aug. 23, the city of Sedona announced Husted would be replaced by Sedona Deputy Police Chief Stephanie Foley, a 17-year veteran of the Sedona Police Department.
