Wasilla police chief fired

WASILLA — After 10 months on the job, Mike Hughes, chief of the Wasilla Police Department, was let go on Friday.

Wasilla Police Sgt. Rick Manrique confirmed Saturday morning that Hughes was gone, but declined to say anything more, citing confidentiality rules where personnel matters are concerned.

Hughes could not be immediately reached for comment. He was hired in April 2010 and started on the job in mid-May. He came to Wasilla from Saginaw, Texas, where he oversaw police services for that city’s department.

He came to the department saying he wanted to put a greater focus on community policing — bring the public into the process to help identify and deal with problems in the city.

His hiring ended a year in which the department had a temporary chief. Mayor Verne Rupright fired the previous top cop in Wasilla, Angella Long, in April 2009.

Long and the mayor disagreed as to why she was fired. Rupright, who had been on the job as mayor only a short while, said it was his right to rearrange department heads and he wanted the department to move in a different direction.

Long claimed Rupright fired her over a disagreement on how to structure the department.

Between Long and Hughes, a police sergeant and then a temporary chief brought in from Outside filled the void.

Attempts to reach Rupright prior to press time about Hughes’ dismissal were unsuccessful.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.