The Cottonwood Police Department’s newest officer is a familiar face in the Verde Valley.
Joseph Candelaria, 48, left the Clarkdale Police Department in September as a lieutenant and was sworn into his new department as a patrol office by Cottonwood Police Chief Brian Freudenthal on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
“Officer Joseph Candelaria brings more than two decades of law enforcement experience and will add a wealth of knowledge, professionalism, and operational expertise to our department,” CPD stated. “We are excited to welcome him to the Cottonwood police family and look forward to the experience he will bring to our community.”
Clarkdale Police Chief, Randy Taylor, said Candelaria left his department on good terms and wished him continued professional success.
“It was just time for me to have a change, and Cottonwood fit all the boxes I am looking for,” Candelaria said. “The culture here [is] really good, and I think it was just time for something new.”
A father of five, Candelaria is originally from Flagstaff, where he started his law enforcement career in 2004 before relocating to the Verde Valley in 2016, and was hired by the Clarkdale Police Department in 2018.
“I haven’t worked the road in a while, so coming back and getting familiar with working the road and being a patrol officer is my short-term goal,” Candelaria said. “I don’t really have any long-term goals yet. I just kind of seeing where this plays out. I’m at around year 20 of being a cop, and I just got to see where I’m going to go from there.”
