The Haines Borough Assembly unanimously confirmed Josh Dryden as the new police chief after a months-long contract negotiation.
Dryden has served as interim police chief since Heath Scott left in September after failing to come to an agreement to renew his contract.
Dryden’s salary will be at least $122,000 plus standby and call-out pay for a total of up to $127,759.50 with 32 days of leave per year. Dryden’s salary is significantly higher than Scott, who was making about $112,000 per year.
Assembly members questioned whether additional call-out and standby pay was appropriate for a salaried employee, but ultimately voted to confirm.
Police chief salaries vary throughout Southeast Alaska. The chief in Juneau makes about $164,000. The chief in Petersburg made $113,000 in 2023, according to their clerk Debra Thompson.
Dryden has been with the Haines Borough Police Department since 2014. Prior to that, he worked at Allied Universal, a private security firm, according to his resume.
Before that, he worked in the Marshall Islands as a police sergeant.
He is a graduate of the law enforcement academies in Virginia and Alaska, according to his resume, and is working on a bachelor’s degree in emergency management and homeland security at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Borough manager Annette Kreitzer said she pushed to promote Dryden to chief after interviewing other staff at the police department, including outgoing chief Heath Scott. Kreitzer said she met with the Public Safety Advisory Board and the Friends of Haines Police, who she said agreed that Dryden was a good fit for the position.
Kreitzer said she also met with some assembly members to ask them what characteristics they would like to see in a new chief.
Dryden has been in talks for the contract for months. He said the process was slowed because of busy schedules and negotiations over contract terms.