Initial Report and Recommendations - Alaska Department of Law
Initial Report and Recommendations - Alaska Department of Law Initial Report and Recommendations - Alaska Department of Law
______________________________________________________________________________Recommendation 44Statement of Need:Trooper response time is frequently delayed to villages due to weather or other circumstances,and most villages lack the infrastructure necessary for a Trooper. Combined with the isolation ofbeing a law enforcement officer in rural Alaska, staffing these positions with qualified officers isa challenge.Option:The State should provide funding, and possibly seek additional funding through organizationssuch as the Denali Commission, to construct multipurpose facilities with an apartment, an office,and a holding cell for the Alaska State Troopers in larger under-served village locations. Theconcept of a Regional Unified Justice Center should be considered whenever affected agenciesconsider construction projects in rural communities. Qualified State Troopers who are currentlyassigned to hub communities should be reassigned to these new posts in “sub-hub” villages suchas Gambell and Holy Cross. The Troopers should work at these locations on a rotating scheduleof two weeks on followed by two weeks of leave.Rationale for Option:One of the barriers to law enforcement services is lack of infrastructure. In some communities,personnel have been required to detain suspects in their living quarters because of an inadequateor no holding facility. While Troopers enjoy the challenges of working in rural Alaska, in manycircumstances, their immediate families do not. Flexible scheduling will keep Troopers on theground in communities that have never seen this level of law enforcement previously.Impact Statement:This would allow for Trooper availability approximately 80 percent of the time, with a 20 percentabsence to account for court time, leave, weather, and similar events. This recommendationembraces the concept of “Community Oriented Policing,” reduces response times, and provides asignificantly enhanced law enforcement presence than has been possible in the past.______________________________________________________________________________Recommendation 45 (LE-7)Statement of Need:A significant lack of infrastructure supporting police and public safety functions in rural Alaskaundermines the safety of rural Alaskans. It also negatively affects recruitment and retention ofpolice and public safety officers.Option:Develop, improve and maintain the infrastructure that supports the delivery of police and publicsafety services in rural Alaska in the following categories:HousingNeed: A lack of available housing in many villages impacts recruitment and retention of policeand public safety officers.Option: Encourage streamlining of the approval process and prioritization of HUD homes for useby police and public safety officers in rural villages. Explore other available and currently vacantfederal, state, and public housing that may be available for use by police and public safetyofficers. Change the eligibility rules for federal rural housing programs for teachers and healthproviders to include funding for police and public safety officers.Alaska Rural Justice and Law Enforcement Commission - Page 105
Communications and technologyNeed: Rural police and public safety officers need better access to communications technologyto communicate with Troopers and other law enforcement. Current Internet and othercommunications technology would improve and speed communications. Rural communities lackbasic, and commonly assumed, communications infrastructure and services such as an available911 system.Option: Increase access to reasonably priced Internet and other telecommunications technology.Change the current regulations that support and subsidize the telemedicine program to allow ruralAlaska police and public safety officers to utilize excess bandwidth to support Internet access andemail at the village level. Improve officer-to-officer communications by standardizing equipmentand providing more equipment to village-based officers. Create a system of regional 911dispatch centers that have access to a comprehensive database of police and public safetyservices. Open eligibility for Tribes and rural Alaska police and public safety officers toHomeland Security programs and funding.TransportationNeed: Adequate and appropriate transportation infrastructure is needed in rural communities andbetween rural communities to improve law enforcement service delivery.Option: Increase the availability of appropriate vehicles for intra-community use by local policeand public safety officers in rural Alaska. Additional upgrades to inter-community transportationinfrastructure would also assist law enforcement officers. VPSOs, Tribal police and othervillage-based law enforcement officers should be able to access public transportation systems onthe same terms as other law enforcement officers.Offices and Holding FacilitiesNeed: Many rural communities lack adequate office and holding facility infrastructure and theresources to adequately maintain such infrastructure in order to properly support the provision ofpolice and public safety services.Option: Provide adequate office and holding facilities including maintenance and operationalfunding in rural communities commensurate with the type of police or public safety officer andcommunity need, in a manner that will ensure continuity in public safety services.EquipmentNeed: VPSOs and other rural police and public safety officers lack appropriate equipment.Option: Provide adequate and appropriate equipment to rural police and public safety officers.Rationale for Option: The workgroup considered the realities of infrastructure that supports theprovision of police and public safety services in rural communities. The workgroup consideredcreative options to attempt to reduce these infrastructure deficiencies.Impact Statement: Improvement in the infrastructure that supports rural police and public safetyofficers would increase their effectiveness.______________________________________________________________________________Recommendation 46 (D–AJ9)Statement of problem(s):Many tribal and state court personnel and judges are not adequately trained in DV/SA and do notconsistently apply laws meant to help victims.Current Status:There is no regular training for court personnel and judges on DV/SA issues. Training thatoccurs is not always coordinated with statewide experts leading to some controversial trainerspresenting. Tribal judges have had some DV training but not mandatory/Court system Children’sForums were helpful in creating dialogues on children’s issues and should be continued andexpanded.Alaska Rural Justice and Law Enforcement Commission - Page 106
- Page 62 and 63: oth the state and the federal gover
- Page 64 and 65: enforcement programs. In this proce
- Page 66 and 67: skills necessary to communicate wit
- Page 68 and 69: and others in the tribal community
- Page 70 and 71: A Comparison of Alaska and the Lowe
- Page 72 and 73: Map Showing the Location of All Ala
- Page 74 and 75: Appendix BBiographical Sketchesof C
- Page 76 and 77: Revenue. Mayor Botelho became Deput
- Page 78 and 79: His wide range of experience includ
- Page 80 and 81: Alaska Rural Justice and Law Enforc
- Page 82 and 83: Workgroup MembersWorkgroup 1: Law E
- Page 84 and 85: Appendix EPhotograph of Commissione
- Page 86 and 87: Appendix FCommission Recommendation
- Page 88 and 89: ) Power differential between govern
- Page 90 and 91: 9. Adequate legal infrastructure to
- Page 92 and 93: ___________________________________
- Page 94 and 95: encouraged and permitted to partici
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- Page 100 and 101: Impact Statement:More culturally ap
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- Page 104 and 105: Option(s):a) Incorporating attitude
- Page 106 and 107: Current Status:Youth Opportunity Gr
- Page 108 and 109: Ideal Status:a) Aftercare programs
- Page 110 and 111: issues; and in the event this becom
- Page 114 and 115: Ideal Status:Mandatory training yea
- Page 116 and 117: Current Status:In areas without an
- Page 118 and 119: Rationale for Option:To reduce the
- Page 120 and 121: All of the workgroups’ options ca
- Page 122 and 123: • All available vehicles should b
- Page 124 and 125: Appendix HAttachments for Recommend
- Page 126 and 127: (2) materials and equipment used in
- Page 128 and 129: under this section if the family me
- Page 130 and 131: AS 04.11.140(g) package store licen
______________________________________________________________________________Recommendation 44Statement <strong>of</strong> Need:Trooper response time is frequently delayed to villages due to weather or other circumstances,<strong>and</strong> most villages lack the infrastructure necessary for a Trooper. Combined with the isolation <strong>of</strong>being a law enforcement <strong>of</strong>ficer in rural <strong>Alaska</strong>, staffing these positions with qualified <strong>of</strong>ficers isa challenge.Option:The State should provide funding, <strong>and</strong> possibly seek additional funding through organizationssuch as the Denali Commission, to construct multipurpose facilities with an apartment, an <strong>of</strong>fice,<strong>and</strong> a holding cell for the <strong>Alaska</strong> State Troopers in larger under-served village locations. Theconcept <strong>of</strong> a Regional Unified Justice Center should be considered whenever affected agenciesconsider construction projects in rural communities. Qualified State Troopers who are currentlyassigned to hub communities should be reassigned to these new posts in “sub-hub” villages suchas Gambell <strong>and</strong> Holy Cross. The Troopers should work at these locations on a rotating schedule<strong>of</strong> two weeks on followed by two weeks <strong>of</strong> leave.Rationale for Option:One <strong>of</strong> the barriers to law enforcement services is lack <strong>of</strong> infrastructure. In some communities,personnel have been required to detain suspects in their living quarters because <strong>of</strong> an inadequateor no holding facility. While Troopers enjoy the challenges <strong>of</strong> working in rural <strong>Alaska</strong>, in manycircumstances, their immediate families do not. Flexible scheduling will keep Troopers on theground in communities that have never seen this level <strong>of</strong> law enforcement previously.Impact Statement:This would allow for Trooper availability approximately 80 percent <strong>of</strong> the time, with a 20 percentabsence to account for court time, leave, weather, <strong>and</strong> similar events. This recommendationembraces the concept <strong>of</strong> “Community Oriented Policing,” reduces response times, <strong>and</strong> provides asignificantly enhanced law enforcement presence than has been possible in the past.______________________________________________________________________________Recommendation 45 (LE-7)Statement <strong>of</strong> Need:A significant lack <strong>of</strong> infrastructure supporting police <strong>and</strong> public safety functions in rural <strong>Alaska</strong>undermines the safety <strong>of</strong> rural <strong>Alaska</strong>ns. It also negatively affects recruitment <strong>and</strong> retention <strong>of</strong>police <strong>and</strong> public safety <strong>of</strong>ficers.Option:Develop, improve <strong>and</strong> maintain the infrastructure that supports the delivery <strong>of</strong> police <strong>and</strong> publicsafety services in rural <strong>Alaska</strong> in the following categories:HousingNeed: A lack <strong>of</strong> available housing in many villages impacts recruitment <strong>and</strong> retention <strong>of</strong> police<strong>and</strong> public safety <strong>of</strong>ficers.Option: Encourage streamlining <strong>of</strong> the approval process <strong>and</strong> prioritization <strong>of</strong> HUD homes for useby police <strong>and</strong> public safety <strong>of</strong>ficers in rural villages. Explore other available <strong>and</strong> currently vacantfederal, state, <strong>and</strong> public housing that may be available for use by police <strong>and</strong> public safety<strong>of</strong>ficers. Change the eligibility rules for federal rural housing programs for teachers <strong>and</strong> healthproviders to include funding for police <strong>and</strong> public safety <strong>of</strong>ficers.<strong>Alaska</strong> Rural Justice <strong>and</strong> <strong>Law</strong> Enforcement Commission - Page 105
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