As the former chief retires, Wasilla names new leader of its police department

WASILLA — The Wasilla Police Department has a new chief. After eight years as interim Police Chief, Gene Belden is retiring. Wasilla Mayor Bert Cottle presented Belden with his retirement badge and appointed Joel Smith as the new WPD Chief.

“I think he’s done a great job. He gave us stability. He took the department to another level,” Cottle said of Belden.

Belden’s first job with a gun and badge was in 1977 with the Palmer Police Department. Belden’s family had homesteaded in the Valley and Belden is a Wasilla High School graduate. Belden enlisted in the Navy and served in Vietnam before working in law enforcement all around Alaska. Belden started in Palmer and trained for a year in Anchorage before serving at the McGrath Alaska State Trooper post until it closed. Belden then served as a trooper in Bethel for four years, and in Glennallen, Soldotna, and finally returned to Palmer where he was appointed sergeant and took over administration oversight and supervised the investigative unit.

In 2008, Belden retired from AST in 2008 and was back in blue when he was appointed interim chief by Wasilla Mayor Vern Rupright in 2011, succeeding Mike Hughes who spent only 10 months on the job.

Smith, the new WPD chief, also started at the Palmer Police Department, spending two years at PPD before transferring to WPD in 2000. In his 19 years at WPD, Smith has become a lieutenant, an investigative sergeant, a firearms instructor, armorer, recruitment officer, served on the Mat-Su Drug Unit and the Special Emergency Response Team and supervised patrol.

“The chief did a good job and Joel Smith, now the acting chief, he’ll do a good job,” Cottle said.

After three police chiefs in three years, Belden offered continuity for WPD, which will move into their new building on Wasilla-Fishhook Road that is scheduled to open next July. Cottle said that Smith will serve as acting chief for now.