Chief Matt Smith grew up in Southern California and has proudly called Grand Junction home for more than 25 years. He began his law enforcement career with the Cortez Police Department before joining the Grand Junction Police Department (GJPD) in 1999. Over the course of his career, he has steadily risen through the ranks, serving in both Services and Operations Divisions. His leadership has extended across a wide range of responsibilities, including patrol, investigations, school resource officers, the community resource unit, the regional communications center, SWAT, professional standards, training, and more.
Chief Smith has also held several specialized assignments, serving as a narcotics detective, firearms instructor, tactics instructor, SWAT operator, and SWAT Commander. In January 2023, he was appointed Chief of Police.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Chief Smith is an active member of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the FBI National Academy Associates. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Senior Management Institute for Police through the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).
Throughout his distinguished career, Chief Smith has placed a strong emphasis on community partnerships, problem-solving, and accountability—especially in the face of criminal activity and critical incidents. He believes that good police work is rooted in honesty, humility, and leading by example. His guiding philosophy is shaped by the quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” For Chief Smith, relationships matter, service matters, and leadership is something to be earned every day—not through authority alone, but through consistent action.