Winslow has named Daniel Brown of St. Johns as its police chief. Brown has nearly 19 years in law enforcement and is looking forward to working with the Winslow Police Department.
Brown’s plan includes having an open door policy with the public, as well as his officers. He intends to ask members of the WPD, including administrators and dispatchers, what they think is needed in the department and how they feel it could be improved. He explained, “I would like to sit with them and see what is working and what is not. There are processes in place that may be working just fine.”
He is aware of the issues facing WPD, and says, “We need to improve the image of the department through communication, transparency and let’s talk about the wins.”
Brown also explained his intention to help the community heal from these issues. “The only way to overcome is to embrace all members of the community by reaching out and working together to rebuild trust,” he continued. “People need to feel they can go to the police department, they can go to police officers and confide in them.”
He recognizes that some of the problems in the past have been due to communication breakdown between the department and the public, as well as within the department itself, and intends to face that issue head on beginning with an outside agency’s audit of the WPD evidence room. That practice is not uncommon, and is intended to inform Brown and the department of the status of cases and evidence.
Brown will address training downfalls and disciplinary issues right away. He noted, “Any department in good order requires discipline when needed, but also, let’s celebrate their wins. We will have many more wins.”
His plan also focuses on community outreach. He believes that officers being involved in other aspects of Winslow life will improve relations between them and the public. He will encourage his officers to involve themselves in community events and causes. Brown himself served as the president of the Apache County Youth Council, was a co-organizer of the Apache County Alliance to Prevent Sexual and Domestic Violence, and is a member of the American Legion. “To serve the community, you must live in the community and be a part of it,” he explained.
Chief Brown will bring a perspective in Winslow that is rooted in rural Arizona, having lived in Show Low and St. Johns. He has a bachelor’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University and a Master’s of Administration with an emphasis in public management, also from NAU, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. His resume includes six years active duty as a U.S. Marine and service in the Army National Guard of Arizona. He has worked with Mesa Police Department, helped start the police department in Maricopa, was a commander with the Gila River Police Department and was a sergeant with the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.
Brown’s extensive experience also includes years of instruction and training, having overseen academy classes at the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy and the Central Arizona Regional Law Officers Training Academy, as well as the Northeastern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy in Taylor.
Most recently, Brown has served as the chief of police in St. Johns. According to Brown, “This agency was close to folding when I began. I rebuilt the agency by hiring several new officers, enhancing the image of the department, seeking and receiving several grants, and being very involved in the community. Trust of the police in St. Johns is currently at an all time high.”
It is his goal to do just the same in Winslow.
Brown and is wife, an elementary school teacher, will be living and working in Winslow by the end of the month.
