Christopher Dowell is an accomplished former United States Army Sergeant First Class Military Police soldier. He served eight years on active duty worldwide, including in Germany, Cuba, Panama, and the former Yugoslavia. After 9/11, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserves and served six more years. He has provided leadership, instruction, and supervision in many assignments, including physical security, patrol operations, combat operations, and institutional training.
Christopher began his civilian law enforcement career in 1997. He served over 20 years as a Deputy Sheriff with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. During his career with the Sheriff’s Office, he provided law enforcement services, instruction, and supervision in a myriad of assignments, including street narcotics, interdiction, and vice operations; canine; Lake Patrol; Dive Team; Mounted Unit; SWAT; patrol detectives; DUI Task Force; audit and inspections; court compliance and grant administrator.
As a Lieutenant with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, he served as a Deputy Commander/ Commander with assignments in Patrol, SWAT, Narcotics, and as a law enforcement auditor/ inspector. While serving as a District Commander, his responsibilities included acting as the Town of Youngtown Police Chief (Contract Municipality). He also served as the Law Enforcement and Security Event Commander for Phoenix International Raceway and the Acting Commander of Chase Field in the absence of the Commander.
After retiring from the Sheriff’s Office, he and his wife decided to bring his family back to Yavapai County to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a close-knit community. His wife is originally from Cottonwood, and his family lived in Cottonwood, the Verde Valley, and Prescott in the 1950s and 1960s.
In August of 2017, Christopher was hired by the Cottonwood Police Department as a Police Officer. Since being employed with the City of Cottonwood, he has served as a Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, K-9 Handler, Terrorism Liaison Officer, and Patrol Supervisor.
He is a graduate of various U.S. Army leadership schools, the DEA/Arizona HIDTA Drug Unit Commander Leadership Academy, and the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command. Christopher holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from American Military University.
When not working Christopher loves to volunteer his time with community groups, committees, and projects. He currently serves as a board member of the Verde Valley Homeless Coalition and Law Enforcement Heroes Charity. He was promoted to Commander in November 2020, serving as the Patrol Commander for two years before being assigned as the Support Services Commander.
The Support Services Division provides critical support to patrol operations while encompassing the majority of police department employees. The Support Services Division supports a wide array of community outreach programs including, National Night Out, Shop with a Cop, Trunk or Treat, and the Citizens Police Academy, to name a few. Commander Dowell’s areas of responsibility include:
*Cottonwood Regional Communications Center (PSAP)
*Criminal Investigations Unit
*Records
*Property and Evidence
*Professional Standards
*Community Outreach
*COP Volunteers
*Victims Assistance
*SWAT (Tactical Operators, Negotiators, Snipers, Medics, Drone and Robot Operators)
*Threat Liaison Unit (Intelligence Officers)