Wasilla hires deputy police chief

February 3, 2006

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - One of the men instrumental in starting the Wasilla Police Depart-ment will be the new deputy chief of the department.

John Glass said he expects to start with the department on a temporary basis on Monday, and will probably take on the deputy chief position permanently sometime in March.

&#8220I have a real fondness for them,” Glass said of the WPD. &#8220When they started, I was with Mayor (John) Stein picking the first chief.”

Although Glass retired once, he has been working in private security since Sept. 11, 2001. That work has required him to travel to the Port of Anchorage, the North Slope and Fort Greely.

&#8220But this is home,” he said. &#8220And we are glad to be here.”

Glass already has some plans in mind for what he would like to see happening at the WPD.

&#8220They started as small, although by Alaska standards, they weren't very small,” he said. &#8220But they are growing, and I'm looking forward to helping transition with a different mind-set. I see the need for that. I'd like to develop and provide leadership training for the people who are there.”

Glass was director of the state's Division of Fish and Wildlife Protection for five years, according to a press release issued by Wasilla Mayor Dianne M. Keller. Through a spokesperson, Keller said Glass's management experience, as set forward in the press release, made him the standout candidate of the final four applicants she interviewed.

The final four included two applicants from the Valley and two from Anchorage, WPD Chief Don Savage said in an earlier interview.

Savage, who was hired in November 2001 while Sarah Palin was serving as Wasilla's mayor, said he plans to retire. There is no guarantee the deputy chief will move into the chief position, he said, but it is a possibility. Savage plans to stick around and work with the new deputy chief for three or four months, he said.

The press release stated that Glass has 27 years of law enforcement experience, with 18 years in management. He retired from FWP as a colonel in 2000, served as commander of the Palmer post of Alaska State Troopers from 1990 to 1993 and has five years of &#8220budget experience.”

The entire group of 10 applicants had a first round of interviews with a committee that included Sandra Garley, Wasilla city planner, representing the administration; Ray McCarthy, as a representative of the community; Jeff Kohler, a retired officer from the Kenai police, representing law enforcement, and Sal Mattero, owner of a Kenai company, Reality Check Consulting, according to the press release.

The city uses Reality Check Consulting from time to time for personnel matters, according to a previous interview with Ted Leonard, director of finance for the city.

Reality Check Consulting's Web site lists five clients, including the Wasilla Police Department and the city of Wasilla. The city paid the company at least $47,283 in 2004, according to the city's records of checks greater than $5,000. Those same records show no payments to Reality Check Consulting for 2005.

The committee selected top candidates and sent their names to Savage, who did his own interviews and forwarded names of the four finalists to the mayor, according to the interview with Savage.

&#8220They were all strong contenders, it was hard to make a choice,” Savage said.

Glass lives somewhere between Palmer and Wasilla with his wife, Melinda, according to the release, and has lived in the Valley since 1997.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.