Robert Joyce Takes the Helm at Sedona Police Department

Officer Robert Joyce recently joined the Sedona Police Department after graduating from the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy on December 12. He completed his training alongside Officer Elizabeth Pedroza.

Before his new role, Joyce served as a police service technician at the Saint Charles Police Department near St. Louis from January 2006 to July 2019. After making a successful exit from the stock and crypto markets, he opted for retirement but soon realized he missed the law enforcement field.

“I started looking for departments where I wanted to work … Sedona was my first choice,” Joyce stated, expressing a preference for smaller departments over larger city forces.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1982, Joyce grew up in a family that valued education and stability. His father worked in insurance, while his mother transitioned from teaching to a role in telecommunications. The family later moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Joyce developed a passion for sports like ice hockey and baseball.

In 2021, after selling his home in Missouri, Joyce relocated to Las Vegas to pursue a professional poker career, a game he found mentally stimulating. “The ability to set my own schedule was the best part,” he explained, noting the strategic elements and unpredictability inherent in poker. His experiences on the poker circuit have shaped his perspective on human behavior and interaction.

Joyce anticipates that skills honed at the poker table, particularly patience and the ability to read body language, will benefit him in policing. “In law enforcement, you’re often dealing with people on their worst day … you have to try to understand their situation,” he said, drawing parallels between poker and police work.

He highlighted the importance of reading visual cues during traffic stops, differentiating between nervousness and behavior that suggests concealment. “Most of what you pick up is not what they’re saying … it’s body language,” he remarked, indicating a keen awareness of the subtle signals that can indicate deeper issues.

Short-term, Joyce aims to excel in field training and establish a reputation as a dependable officer. Long-term aspirations include advancing within the department, possibly into specialized roles like detective or narcotics officer, both of which intrigue him.

As of January 6, the Sedona Police Department consists of 27 sworn officers with 30 positions budgeted. Notably, 13 officers have served with the department for over five years, illustrating a stable workforce dedicated to community safety.