Plan to add more VPSOs falls short

By Jake Metcalfe

Governor Parnell wants to rid Alaska of domestic violence and sexual assault. Good for him for raising this issue. Statistics show that domestic violence, sexual assault and alcohol abuse have increased in Alaska over the years. This epidemic has gone untreated far too long.
Twenty years ago, I experienced the epidemic firsthand as a state prosecutor in Bethel. Conservatively, about 75 percent of my cases in Bethel involved sexual abuse, sexual assault, and/or domestic violence. Probably 95 percent of those cases involved alcohol abuse.
Governor Parnell’s battle plan to fight the epidemic includes increasing law enforcement in rural Alaska. He requested 15 more Village Public Safety Officers this year, and 150 more over 10 years. As of today, the Alaska Legislature has approved funding for 15 more VPSOs. Commendations to the governor and legislators for giving back some of the 50 or so VPSO positions they cut over the past 20 years.
While commendable, the governor’s plan to contract out law enforcement in rural Alaska won’t decrease domestic violence, sexual abuse or sexual assault. Increasing VPSOs by 15 next year is nothing more than hoping a small Band-Aid will stop an arterial wound. Moreover, communicating this move as a real vaccine is at best hyperbole, and at worst dishonest.
There is no question Alaska needs VPSOs. As a former prosecutor, I know we need them. But 15 or 150 VPSOs is not a vaccine. VPSOs do yeoman’s work, but they are simply not State Troopers or municipal police.
Here is why: VPSOs get abbreviated training, they don’t investigate felonies, and if they do an investigation, they require State Trooper oversight. As a consequence, hiring more VPSOs will only increase reported cases, which, in turn, have to be investigated by understaffed troopers. Moreover, VPSOs have many responsibilities other than law enforcement, from search and rescue, to serving warrants, to fire safety. Turnover among VPSOs is astronomical; near 50 percent in recent years. Native nonprofits can’t keep VPSOs because VPSOs are paid about half of what troopers are paid, have no pensions and receive insufficient work benefits.
To end this epidemic, we must be honest about how to do it, and we need bold leadership and funding. It will only happen when we bring on additional, well-trained, state and municipal police. We need police trained to investigate and present cases that result in convictions and defendants going to jail.
Governor Parnell can look to former President Bill Clinton for leadership. Clinton developed a community policing initiative (copied by New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani), and crime rates plummeted nationally. Clinton’s plan worked because it provided funding and a huge increase in trained police that helped send perpetrators to jail.
Right now, Alaska has one state trooper for every 2,000 residents. The national average is two officers for every 1,000 people. If we want to have a fighting chance to end the epidemic, we must at least double the number of police in Alaska. Adding insufficiently trained VPSOs is not the answer.
As we see it, there are two options. We can elect leaders that actually work to stop the epidemic — a move that will result in invaluable community and cultural payoffs. Those leaders must fund more police, victim services, investigation resources, prosecutors, defenders, court resources, jail space and economic development. Or, we can stay the course: elect leaders who nickel and dime programs, but claim that what they’re doing is presenting a real solution. As we’ve already seen, nickel-and-diming it will lead to incalculable future costs, and continuing misery and devastation in Alaska’s families.
Finally, leadership is not putting off solutions until “next year.” Victims and children need real solutions now. Victims need leaders willing to put their political career on the line immediately to make them all safe for generations to come. This is about justice, and as a wise man once said, “justice delayed is justice denied.”

Jake Metcalfe is the Executive Director of the Public Safety Employees Association.