Pinal Today

The City of Maricopa has hired Mark Goodman as its new police chief. He will take over on Jan. 23, replacing James Hughes, who abruptly resigned in September.

Goodman worked in California for 28 years with his latest position as commander. 

“All three of our daughters attended Grand Canyon University and our youngest graduates next December,” Goodman said in an InMaricopa report. “For the last six years, our family has developed a love for Arizona, and this position allows me to combine my love of law enforcement, family and Arizona.” 

One of his daughters loved the state so much, she decided to stay,

“When my second daughter was getting ready to graduate, she said she was going to stay in Arizona after school,” Goodman said. “My wife, who is the forward-looking one, said, ‘Let’s buy a house in Phoenix. We can visit frequently.’ Once we did that, it communicated to me that Arizona was where we were going to be in the end.”

The search for a replacement took a couple of months, finally being announced earlier this month.

“This is an important role for the city of Maricopa, and we are confident that we have found the right person for the job in Mark Goodman,” Maricopa Mayor Nancy Smith told InMaricopa. “We are grateful to the senior leadership of MPD who have held the department to such a high standard of service while we conducted this nationwide search. We are ready to see the department flourish further under Goodman’s leadership and experience.”

Goodman impressed several city officials during the hiring process.

“My wife and I had the opportunity to host Chief Goodman and his wife, Vikki, in our home,” City Manager Rick Horst told InMaricopa. “While his resume, education and experience are impressive, to say the least, it was his demeanor, his philosophy of finding the right balance between enforcement and grace, and his genuine concern for the people he and his department will serve that led me to believe he was the right person to serve as chief.”

Councilmember Henry Wade also came away with a good impression.

“We got a chance to find out a little bit about him,” Wade said in the InMaricopa article. “He is a long-term, law-enforcement guy, who is articulate, intelligent and a go-getter. I was impressed.” 

When asked what future he envisions for the department, Goodman said, 

“It is my belief that Maricopa has an exemplary Police Department as evidenced by its low crime rate and commitment to community service. Our goal in law enforcement is clear: to provide the highest level of public safety to those we serve. This means employing contemporary community-policing methods, which include reducing crime, maintaining order, providing hope and calming fears.”

He said much of good policing relies on establishing solid relationships in the community, which he plans to do.

“My community-policing strategy involves building genuine relationships with the residential and business communities,” Goodman said. “I want to make sure we are connected to the community in order to provide effective public safety for those in the Maricopa community.

“I believe this can be achieved through strategic communication, applying logic when needed, common sense and a true concern for people,” he said. “The next iteration of community policing requires law enforcement to make deep connections and to build safer neighborhoods and business districts through collaborative partnerships.”