The outgoing police chief thanks Flagstaff “for the trip”

After more than three decades in a police uniform, the time has come for me to retire. I came to Flagstaff as a student at Northern Arizona University and decided never to leave this beautiful place.

After graduating, I served in the Army Reserve and then began my career as a jailer with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. After a few years of learning the ropes, I decided that blue suited me better than brown, so I applied for a job with the City of Flagstaff and was hired.

Being a police officer is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. The excitement of reporting for patrol shift and not knowing what adventure awaits you and your colleagues will always stay with me. It is an honor to serve among heroes every day. Unfortunately, I have also seen some of the worst sides of humanity, but the tragedies are far outweighed by the many positive experiences.

Throughout my career, I have had many great leaders help me and a wonderful family that supported me in pursuing my dream. I have had an outstanding career and seen people I have hired and mentored become leaders and mentors themselves. At the end of my law enforcement career, I have many more friends than I did at the beginning.

The city has allowed me to provide for my family and provided us with a safe place to live. The Flagstaff community has always been welcoming, diverse, education-focused, and with no shortage of outdoor adventures.

Throughout my career, I have sought to improve the quality of life for all members of our community by coaching and volunteering when and where I could. I had the honor of ending my career as your Chief of Police.

I have had the privilege of working with many elected officials, business leaders, and city commissions. I have been very proud to serve on many nonprofit boards and try to help the most vulnerable. My wife, Kim, and I served as the Northern Arizona United Way campaign chair this year, which was a great honor.

During my tenure, we have accomplished great things. We have made significant investments in public safety that will continue to have positive impacts well into the future. Working with our supportive community, we have established a non-police response to crisis calls, including the CARE Unit, built a local police academy, and are working to integrate crisis responders into our operations center.

I announced my intention to retire over a year ago so that we could plan a smooth transition for our new Chief of Police. We have many projects in the works that require continued leadership. I am pleased to report that Chief Sean Connolly hit the ground running and I believe our police family is in good hands. My plan is to stay in the community, do more biking and dog walking and continue my life in law enforcement, whatever the next adventure brings.

Thanks, Flagstaff, for the trip. FBN

By Dan Musselman

Dan Musselman retired as chief of the Flagstaff Police Department in June 2024.