THATCHER — The new police chief in Thatcher is someone familiar with being a police chief.
Thatcher officials said Wednesday that Glen Orr has accepted the offer to be the permanent chief, and will start work once his background check is complete and he is medically cleared to take on the role.
Orr has an extensive local law enforcement background, having first served as a Graham County Sheriff’s deputy and sergeant for 13 years, before moving over to Safford Police, where he rose through the ranks to captain and eventually was named chief in May 2020 upon the retirement of Joe Brugman.
Orr served as Safford Police chief until his retirement in early 2023. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy program.
The Thatcher Police chief position became vacant when Shaffen Woods announced his retirement late last year. He is now the head of security for Freeport-McMoRan’s Safford mining operation.
In January, the Thatcher Town Council appointed Thatcher Sgt. Everett Cauthen as interim chief.
