Sept. 4 Update: The Somerton City Council on Tuesday night unanimously voted to approve Araceli Juarez as Chief of Police. Juarez, who was formerly the interim chief, will be sworn in on Sept. 17.
Somerton city officials announced that Interim Police Chief Araceli Juarez has been selected by the recruitment committee to become the permanent Chief of Police for the South Yuma County city.
At the Tuesday meeting of the Somerton City Council, members will hear the recommendation to hire Juarez as Chief of Police. She has been serving as Interim Police Chief since April.
The Council must vote to approve the recommendation for the hiring to be finalized.
Juarez has worked for the Somerton Police Department since 1998 and has been a Somerton resident for 27 years.
In a released statement, Juarez said “I plan to work closely with the Council and community to continue to promote public safety”.
During August, the Police Chief Review Committee reviewed 16 applications and interviewed three finalists for the position.
Juarez has also served as a member of the Somerton School District Board for eight years, including as its president.
