JANUARY 17, 2018 JUNEAU – Governor Bill Walker today announced the next steps to build a Safer Alaska. A suite of legislation aimed at addressing the rising crime rate Alaska has seen over the last several years was transmitted to the legislature, and later today, the Department of Law will unveil new updates to the state’s wide-ranging Public Safety Action Plan, first released in October of 2017.
The Legislative proposals would make the following changes:
• Allow the Attorney General to schedule controlled substances by regulation on an emergency basis, solving the persistent problem of new drugs emerging and creating immense public safety concerns before the Legislature is able to react;
• Make distribution of large quantities of drugs a Class A felony offense, punishable by up to 20 years in prison;
• Ensure that only qualified candidates become police officers by allowing the Department of Public Safety to request a national criminal history record check from the FBI for anyone who applies to attend a police training program in Alaska, as well as for anyone who seeks employment as a police officer by an employer that lacks the ability to request a national criminal history record check;
• Double fees for conviction of felony and misdemeanor crimes and for violation of municipal ordinances, with the additional revenue going to the police training fund, helping to stabilize and enhance public safety by increasing availability of training for both law enforcement and corrections officers;
• Allow judges to consider out-of-state criminal history when determining bail and release conditions;
• Add the Health and Social Services Commissioner as a voting member on the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission, as the department oversees the division of juvenile justice and plays a critical role in providing behavioral health services.
“These proposals represent proactive steps that will make Alaskans safer, whether in Minto or Muldoon,” Governor Walker said. “I call on lawmakers to expedite consideration of these six bills and to invest in improving public safety as I suggest in my budget proposal.”
The Governor’s budget adds $34 million for public safety efforts, money that would pay for two new prosecutors in Anchorage to help lead the charge in homicide cases, new prosecutors in Bethel and Kotzebue, a trooper pilot in Nome, and more. An additional $2 million would also allow troopers to travel for community policing efforts in rural communities.
|
|
