Wasilla police report staffing gaps, mobile crisis team use and plans to replace records system

Chief William Rapson, Wasilla Police Department chief, told the Wasilla City Council the department continues to operate with multiple vacancies and is trying a mix of recruitment, technology and partnership strategies to keep patrols and specialty units functioning. Rapson said the department has three open officer positions and has received 4,300 hits on its NeoGov job posting since April 2025; of 27 applicants in that period the department hired one lateral officer from Oregon. "We've had 3 open vacancies of July 28," Rapson said. The chief gave cumulative activity totals for 2025 so far and offered to return in December with a year‑over‑year comparison. "We've had about 15,300 calls for service," he said, and he listed numbers the department logged between Jan. 1 and the meeting date: 43 assaults, 235 disturbances, about 3,700 traffic stops (including 82 DUIs), roughly 240 animal‑related calls to code compliance and various arrests and warrants. Rapson described an existing partnership with True North Recovery for a mobile crisis team (MCT). He said the MCT has responded to 193 calls since January and helps free officers for other calls while connecting people in crisis with case managers and services. On investigations and grants, Rapson said he applied for renewal of the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) that helps fund a drug investigator assigned to a regional narcotics unit and reported seizure metrics for a recent quarter (fentanyl doses, methamphetamine increases and roughly $45,000 currency seized in cooperative operations). The chief also discussed training and staffing changes: the retirement of a 30‑year sergeant on May 1, promotion of Officer Caleb Moyer to sergeant and ongoing detective promotions. He outlined training the department is pursuing, including Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), a new UCIT (underage crisis intervention training) program he intends to pilot by sending an officer to bring back curriculum, and periodic cooperative large‑scale active‑shooter exercises scheduled for Oct. 11. Rapson said the department is evaluating replacements for its CentralSquare records management system (RMS) and has piloted an AI‑assisted transcription/reporting tool (described as CJIS‑cleared) with 10 officers; the chief reported about an 80% improvement in some report‑writing times in the pilot and said the city will demo full RMS alternatives in coming months. Discussion vs. decisions: the report was informational and generated requests from council members for additional data — council asked for a breakdown of speeding citations, a comparative 2024 vs. 2025 report on calls for service, and an itemized personnel/overtime percentage for the department budget at the next council meeting. No formal council action was taken on operational items at this meeting. Ending: Rapson closed by summarizing facilities and CIP work at the department (new fuel tank and perimeter fencing installation ongoing) and invited council follow‑up questions and requests for additional statistics.