SAFFORD — If his promotion to Safford Police chief is approved by the City Council on Monday, Brian Avila will become the first Hispanic to lead any law enforcement agency in the history of Graham County.
“Am I proud of the fact that I am the first? Absolutely; without a doubt. But I think it also needs to be noted that it’s not so much your race; it’s how much you’re willing to work for something,” Avila said.
Avila, who holds degrees from Eastern Arizona College and Bellevue University, and has FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development training, has been selected by City Manager John Cassella to be the city’s new Police chief, pending council approval.
During a meet-and-greet with the public Thursday at the Safford Library, Avila, who currently serves as a captain and interim chief with the department, outlined his short-term and long-term plans for the agency.
Under short-term goals, he said his priority is to promote an officer already in the department to captain. He also wants to create a succession plan for the positions of chief and the chief’s administrative assistant.
Long term, he wants to increase the number of officers to 28 by fiscal year 2029, and the number of civilian employees to four by fiscal year 2026. He also said he plans to implement a succession and training plan for the department’s investigative division.
He said he would like to start a citizen’s police academy this fall, and he wants to rejuvenate the Police Explorer programs for area youths, as a way to help develop new officers.
Five generations of Avila’s family were on hand to see his presentation: his grandmother; his father, Larry, a former Greenlee County Sheriff; his siblings; two of his children; and his 15-month-old granddaughter, Aubriella. He credited the support from his family as he rose through the ranks.
“When you sign on for this career . . . your family signs on with you. You’ve got to have a strong support system,” he said.
