Legislature(2023 - 2024)ADAMS 519
02/21/2023 01:30 PM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Overview: Fy 2024 Budget by Department of Public Safety | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 39 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 41 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
February 21, 2023
1:33 p.m.
1:33:53 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Johnson called the House Finance Committee meeting
to order at 1:33 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bryce Edgmon, Co-Chair
Representative DeLena Johnson, Co-Chair
Representative Julie Coulombe
Representative Mike Cronk
Representative Alyse Galvin
Representative Sara Hannan
Representative Andy Josephson
Representative Dan Ortiz
Representative Will Stapp
Representative Frank Tomaszewski
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair
ALSO PRESENT
Bryan Barlow, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public
Safety; James Cockrell, Commissioner, Department of Public
Safety; Pam Halloran, Administrative Services Director,
Department of Public Safety, Office of Management and
Budget, Office of the Governor.
SUMMARY
HB 39 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUND; SUPP
HB 39 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 41 APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET
HB 39 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
OVERVIEW: FY 2024 BUDGET BY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Co-Chair Johnson reviewed the meeting agenda.
HOUSE BILL NO. 39
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; amending
appropriations; making reappropriations; making
supplemental appropriations; making appropriations
under art. IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State
of Alaska, from the constitutional budget reserve
fund; and providing for an effective date."
HOUSE BILL NO. 41
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
^OVERVIEW: FY 2024 BUDGET BY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
1:35:05 PM
JAMES COCKRELL, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY,
introduced the PowerPoint presentation, "Department of
Public Safety FY2024 Department Budget Overview" dated
February 21, 2023 (copy on file). He began by thanking the
committee for hearing the presentation and thanked the
members of the Department of Public Safety (DPS)
subcommittee. He thought the subcommittee meetings were
open and productive. After years of budget cuts, DPS was
making strides forwards thanks to the legislature. The
department was given more resources in the prior year which
had turned into new positions within DPS. The overall crime
rate in the state was down significantly and drug
enforcement agents were busy intercepting contraband at
airports, ferry docks, and other areas throughout the
state. The department had hired two investigators to focus
directly on missing and murdered indigenous people and had
revitalized the Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO)
program. He relayed that DPS was also moving forward with a
body camera program and it hoped to have the Alaska State
Troopers (AST) equipped with cameras by the summer. He
thought the cameras would increase transparency, instill
trust in the citizens of the state, and protect the
troopers. He hoped that the department and the legislature
could continue making improvements and make Alaska the
safest state in the nation.
Mr. Cockrell began on slide 2 of the presentation. When he
took over the department a few years prior, his goal was to
ensure that DPS's mandate was met, which was to recruit and
retain the best troopers, VPSOs, and administrative and
technical staff. He relayed that the department was
particularly attentive to rural areas of the state. Another
primary focus was the high level of sexual assault and
domestic violence in the state as it still had the highest
rates per capita in the nation. The department was also
focused on major crime investigations including homicides,
assaults, and drug investigations. There were currently 982
permanent full-time staff and 12 permanent part-time staff
at DPS. He explained that the part-time staff focused on
particular problems or cases. The current DPS budget was
just under $300 million.
Mr. Cockrell moved to slide 3 and detailed the statewide
impact of the department. He thought the Department of
Administration (DOA) was the only department that had a
larger impact on the state than DPS. He explained that DPS
provided law enforcement patrol and investigations around
the state as well as first rate resource protection. He
reiterated the department's focus on domestic violence,
sexual assault, and victim services programs. He added that
DPS also provided special patrols, performed search and
rescue activities, and managed the Alaska Public Safety
Information Network (APSIN).
Mr. Cockrell advanced to slide 4 which detailed the
organizational system within the department.
1:41:30 PM
Co-Chair Johnson asked for more information on the division
directors and the number of years the directors had been
with the department.
Mr. Cockrell responded that the colonel for AST was Maurice
Hughes, who had been with the troopers for over 30 years.
The colonel for the Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT) was
Bernard Chastain, who had been with the department for
about 25 years. The Fire and Life Safety (FLS) director was
Lloyd Nakano, who had been with the department for over 20
years. The interim director of the VPSO program was retired
Colonel Joel Hard who worked for the department for over 20
years and also spent around 20 years with the National Park
Service. The director of Administrative Services was Pam
Halloran and he was uncertain how long she had been with
the department.
1:43:00 PM
PAM HALLORAN, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC SAFETY, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR, stated that she had been with the
department since June of 2022.
Mr. Cockrell added that the aforementioned individuals were
all of the division directors.
Co-Chair Johnson understood that most of the directors were
close to retirement age.
Mr. Cockrell confirmed that most of the department's
command staff were eligible for retirement.
Representative Ortiz referred to slide 2 of the
presentation. He asked if there had been a study on how the
consolidation of dispatch services had contributed to
accomplishing the department's key objective to improve law
enforcement and safety in rural Alaska.
Mr. Cockrell responded that there were still significant
strides to be made when it came to providing emergency
services to rural areas of the state. There were two
dispatch centers, one in Mat-Su and one in Kenai, which
provided professional support in the two regions. The
department was still struggling to establish adequate
dispatch services in areas of Western Alaska. The
department was working with phone companies to upgrade the
cell phone towers to increase the range of service for 911
calls. He relayed that the process would take cooperation
from DPS and the telecommunication companies.
Representative Cronk asked how many 911 calls in rural
Alaska were dropped.
Mr. Cockrell responded that he had been told that up to 25
percent of calls were dropped.
Ms. Halloran continued on slide 5 reflecting the governor's
amended FY 24 budget request, which was almost $300,000
with the supplemental included. The total request was a $14
million increase over the FY 23 management plan. She noted
that there were many factors that contributed to the budget
request. The goal was to align the budget with the
expenditures as they occurred, focusing on meeting the
rising costs related to fleet vehicles and funding
positions that were either underfunded or unfunded. She was
brought on in June of 2022 and came from another state
agency that was similar to DPS and she knew what it was
like to work within a reactive agency. She was working to
establish controls and transparency in regard to
expenditures.
Representative Cronk asked for more information on the
"other" category on slide 5.
Ms. Halloran responded that the funds in the other category
referred to interagency authority. Additionally, the
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA) and
the Violent Crimes Compensation Board (VCCB) received other
funds in the form of restorative justice funds.
1:48:40 PM
Representative Galvin asked if the other funds also
included the collaboration between DPS and
telecommunication companies. Hearing that 25 percent of
calls [911] were dropped helped her understand why the
state had high rates of domestic violence.
Ms. Halloran responded in the negative. The other funds
were specifically used by agencies to provide services to
each other and any telecommunication services would not be
included.
Representative Galvin asked where the funding would need to
be in order to facilitate collaboration with
telecommunication entities and strengthen the system.
Mr. Cockrell responded that the funding on the state side
was not the issue. The issue was the amount of money it
would cost the telecommunication companies to advance the
cell towers to be "phase II" compliant. The department
could not force compliance, but he thought there should be
an obligation on the companies' part to provide adequate
communications to ensure Alaskans in rural areas of the
state had reliable access to 911 services.
Representative Galvin asked how the legislature could help
encourage the telecommunication companies to collaborate
with the department to deliver important emergency services
to every Alaskan.
Co-Chair Johnson commented that there was a large sum of
money for broadband services that would soon be coming to
the state.
1:51:38 PM
Representative Stapp asked for clarification about the
unfunded positions mentioned by Ms. Halloran. He asked if
there were salary savings from the unfunded positions.
Ms. Halloran responded that the supplemental was not
covering payroll. There were two elements in the
supplemental bill: the first was the supplemental itself,
which addressed the anticipated cost overages in FY 23; the
second was the ratification, which covered cost overages
that the department was unable to address because it ran
out of budget authority in FY 22, which included funding
payroll. The supplemental was primarily covering the
travel, services, and commodities lines.
Representative Stapp understood that there was a specific
request in the supplemental due to overtime hours worked.
He thought positions that were funded and not filled would
incur salary savings that could be used to cover overtime
expenses. He asked if the funding request was in addition
to the savings.
Ms. Halloran responded that positions that were not funded
would fall under the personal service line item. There
would be no savings without budget authority. She offered
to walk the committee through the supplemental.
Representative Stapp declined the offer.
1:54:20 PM
Representative Josephson relayed that he was told that DPS
was billing a sister agency. He asked which agency the
department was billing.
Ms. Halloran responded that the departments were billing
each other and the various divisions were providing
services to each other. For example, CDVSA provided some
funding to AST to assist with domestic violence training
and awareness for troopers. Similar to DOA, DPS charged its
divisions for administrative services provided by the
commissioner's office. The department also had a
Reimbursable Service Agreement (RSA) with the courts and
with corrections.
Representative Josephson asked if the ratification referred
to a new Public Safety Employees Association (PSEA)
contract.
Ms. Halloran responded that the ratification was part of
the supplemental bill. It provided a mechanism through
which the department could capture costs that were not
captured in FY 22 because expenditures had exceeded the
department's authorization.
Representative Josephson responded that he heard from FLS
that it could receive emergency declarations and the
governor could unilaterally make withdrawals from the
treasury for funding. He understood that DPS did not have
the same option and that the department had outstanding
bills that needed to be ratified.
Ms. Halloran responded that Representative Josephson was
correct in that there were outstanding bills. The employees
of the department were essentially paid in FY 22, but the
accounting system did not allow for the expenditures to go
through. The ratification process allowed the department to
come before the legislature and request an appropriation to
fund the expenditures.
Ms. Halloran continued on slide 6 and detailed the FLS
Division. She explained that the division included the Plan
Review Bureau, the Life and Safety Inspection Bureau, the
Bureau of Accreditation Standards and Time, and the Alaska
Fire Standards Council. The division performed building
inspections and plan reviews and worked closely with VPSOs
to improve fire safety in rural Alaska.
Representative Cronk asked where the 32 full-time positions
were based.
Ms. Halloran responded that the positions were primarily
based in Anchorage but that there were some deputy fire
marshals based in Bethel and Fairbanks as well.
1:58:05 PM
Ms. Halloran continued to slide 7 which was a series of
graphs comparing the governor's FY 22, FY 23, and FY 24
amend request. The FY 24 budget was just over $7 million
with a $300,000 increase over FY 23, which provided for a
deputy fire marshal in Juneau. The help provided by the new
position would promote faster investigations into fire
instances in Southeast Alaska as well as help preserve
evidence.
Ms. Halloran moved to slide 8 and the AST division. She
indicated that it was the largest division within DPS by a
wide margin and that 60 percent of the budget request was
intended for AST. The division provided a variety of
services, including a robust drug and addiction program,
criminal investigations, search and rescue, law
enforcement, and court services. The division also included
the AWT division, which she referred to as a "division
within a division."
Ms. Halloran advanced to slide 9, which reflected the AST
budget request. She reiterated that the majority of the
supplemental request was within the AST division and the
request totaled $182 million.
Co-Chair Johnson commented that the governor's amended
budget represented a significant increase for DPS. She
wondered what happened to necessitate such a substantial
increase.
Ms. Halloran responded that there were decisions made in
the governor's amended budget by the governor's office. She
presumed that the increase related to the changing price of
oil. The additional funding request was important to
prevent DPS from needing to implement the ratification
process. For example, there was a request for over $2
million for vehicle costs and a request that aligned
service authority for wildlife troopers as the division's
total authorization had been exceeded. Additionally, costs
were rising for other services, such as uniforms, mental
health services, and costs for upkeep and maintenance of
equipment. The department compared the costs from FY 21 and
FY 22 and requested the difference.
Ms. Halloran moved to slide 10 and detailed the VPSO
program. The program consisted of ten regional programs
managed by regional tribes and organizations. The program
included grant funds to perform statutorily required
services such as fire prevention and suppression, emergency
medical support, search and rescue, investigations, law
enforcement, and public safety training.
2:03:13 PM
Representative Josephson commented that there were 68 VPSOs
and about 230 villages in the state. He asked whether a
typical village had law enforcement.
Mr. Cockrell responded that there were about 68 "boots on
the ground" VPSOs stationed at many different villages
around the state. He thought that rural Alaska had been
underserved since statehood and the only way to serve the
entire state was to allocate more resources to rural areas.
Many of the villages had dedicated troopers, but other
troopers were tasked with serving multiple villages.
Representative Stapp asked what the minimum allowable age
was for a VPSO.
Mr. Cockrell responded 18 years old. The grantees involved
in the VPSO program worked closely together with the
department to fill all the positions. The department had a
lot more flexibility due to a bill that passed in the prior
year and had sufficient funds to continue to look for
housing for VPSOs. He emphasized how critical VPSOs were to
DPS and to the state. He relayed that VPSOs did not only
conduct law enforcement, but assisted in firefighting,
search and rescues, medical assistance, and many other
duties. He opined that a village could not prosper unless
the citizens within the village felt safe. He noted that
many areas in the state were not represented by law
enforcement and he thought the state should do better.
2:07:33 PM
Representative Hannan commented that a bright spot in the
public safety mission during the four years she had been in
the legislature was the VPSO program. She thought the
change in commissioner as well as the program being moved
from AST and into the commissioner's office contributed
greatly to the program's success. In addition, the change
to the law that allowed two VPSOs to be posted in the same
community was a significant improvement. She thought that
AST was not designed to conduct community policing, while
VPSOs were trained specifically for the duty. She thought
that the state had seemed to have taken a turn and was
moving in the right direction. She did not think the number
of officers on the ground was sufficient yet, but she was
pleased that the goal was to build towards increased
numbers. She thanked Mr. Cockrell for his leadership.
Representative Coulombe asked if the VPSOs were armed and
what kind of accountability there was for VPSOs who
exhibited bad behavior.
Mr. Cockrell responded that VPSOs were not armed. There
were two VPSOs that had been shot and killed since the
start of the program. There was statutory authority that
allowed VPSOs to be armed, however the officers were not
currently armed. He deferred the second question to a
colleague.
2:10:22 PM
BRYAN BARLOW, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY, responded that any internal investigations were
conducted by a VPSO's employer and DPS assisted in the
effort.
Representative Coulombe asked what it meant to be
investigated by an employer.
Mr. Barlow replied that VPSOs were not employees of DPS but
were employees of the non-profit organizations to which
they were assigned.
Co-Chair Johnson suggested that members keep the
questioning pertinent to the budget.
Co-Chair Edgmon thanked the department for its attention to
the VPSO program as well as the coordinators of the program
who were part of the VPSO working group. He recalled that
there were around 120 VPSOs many years ago and it seemed
there were efforts to advance the program to a similar
level once more. He asked about Colonel Joel Hard's
designation as a retired officer as he had understood that
Colonel Hard was currently working.
Mr. Cockrell responded that Colonel Hard was working a
"full-time part-time" position. He decided to call upon
Colonel Hard to increase stability in the program as the
colonel had worked closely with the grantees to build the
program. The program had "bounced around" within the
trooper agency since its inception and the instability did
not make for a successful program. He understood the reason
for the constant changes and did not fault anyone for it.
The VPSO program had been moved to the commissioner's
office and a new director had been appointed in order to
allow Colonel Hard to return to retirement. The new full-
time director would allow for an increased level of
accountability and stability within the program. If the
program failed, it was the responsibility of the
commissioner to fix the problems. The department was
committed to fostering the success of the program.
Co-Chair Edgmon asked when the VPSO program was under the
AST division.
Mr. Cockrell responded that the program had been within the
AST division since its inception. He wanted to see the
program within the commissioner's office and noted that
Colonel Hard had been the director for about a year and a
half.
Representative Josephson understood that the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) had asked some departments to
eliminate the positions it could not fill. He asked if DPS
was one of those departments.
Mr. Cockrell responded that the previous administration had
asked DPS to eliminate unfilled positions, but it was not
the case with the current administration.
2:15:29 PM
Ms. Halloran continued on slide 11. She explained that the
VPSO budget was increased in the governor's amend in order
to accommodate ten additional officers as well as provide
funding for housing and offices. She explained that the
total request was an additional $20 million.
Ms. Halloran advanced to slide 12 which detailed the
Statewide Support Division. She explained that the division
housed the commissioner's officer, administrative services,
the crime lab, criminal justice information systems
program, and the Alaska Public Safety Communication
Services Agency. Much of the work of the division reached
multiple agencies and divisions throughout the state. She
continued to slide 13 and indicated that the budget request
for the division was just over $53 million, which was a
$2.8 million increase over the FY 23 management plan.
Ms. Halloran continued on slide 14 and detailed the Alaska
Police Standards Council (APSC). The council provided
training and ensured compliance and standards for training
for police, correctional officers, probation officers,
parole officers, and municipal correction offices. There
was no significant budget request associated with the
council.
Ms. Halloran moved to slide 19 and offered information on
CDVSA. Through grants, the council supported prevention,
victim services, and rehabilitation programs across the
state. She advanced to slide 17 and relayed that the FY 24
request for CDVSA was just under $32 million.
Ms. Halloran continued to slide 18 and detailed VCCB. She
indicated that the board facilitated payments to innocent
persons and victims of crime such as homicide, assault,
arson, child abuse, sexual assault, driving under the
influence, and robbery. Expenditures could include funeral
costs, burial expenses, lost wages, medical expenses,
mental health costs, relocation, safety, security, crime
scene clean up, and travel.
Mr. Cockrell added that DCP inherited VCCB from the DOA
about a year and a half ago. The board was set up in 1973
and had three employees and 15 claims. In the present day,
the board had three employees and received over 1,000
claims. The department asked for two additional positions
to provide critical support to victims of violent crime.
The board provided support to many victims who could not
afford to support themselves. The ability to provide
support to victims was a valuable asset to the state. The
two new requested positions were not funded; therefore, the
funds would come from the restorative justice fund. He was
fearful that the available funding for victims would be
reduced.
2:20:31 PM
Ms. Halloran moved to slide 19 and the budget for VCCB. The
budget request was $4.2 million, which was a significant
increase and would help stabilize the work of the board.
There was a large increase in the fund source of "other"
which referred to the restorative justice funds. The funds
would also support two positions: a paralegal and an
administrative officer. All salaries for all employees on
the board would come from the restorative justice account,
which she acknowledged was a volatile account due to its
dependency on the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD).
Representative Cronk asked what the target number was for
VPSOs and whether there were any upcoming partnerships for
the program.
Mr. Cockrell responded that the department had funding for
65 VPSOs but his target was around 120. He thought 120
would be ideal and there appeared to be a "magic number" at
which all of the trooper and VPSO positions remained
filled. He emphasized the importance of continuing to
provide support for the program and support for the rural
areas of the state.
Representative Cronk thought that it was worthwhile to
mention the troopers' two-weeks-on and two-weeks-off
schedule. He asked if it was beneficial for new troopers to
live in one area of the state for two weeks and work in
another area for two weeks. He wondered if it would cost
the troopers money to repeatedly take two weeks away from
home. He acknowledged that more experienced troopers would
likely still be making money but was concerned that newer
troopers would not make enough money to justify the job or
the schedule.
Mr. Cockrell responded that there was a financial advantage
depending on seniority. The decision that DOA made to
reduce the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) from 100
percent to 50 percent had affected the ability of DPS to
assign troopers to rural posts. Troopers within Tier II did
not get overtime but some other troopers did receive
overtime. He noted that troopers would be paying rent
either way but it was a continuous struggle to get troopers
out to rural Alaska. A trooper recently left the division
because the individual did not want to be posted in rural
Alaska. Decent housing, office space, and internet were
important elements in making a rural post more desirable;
however, the improvements could be expensive.
Mr. Cockrell continued that he did not think that the state
had ever grasped the concept that rural Alaska needed
better service and he did not think much procedural
progress had been made since the 1960s. He emphasized that
the amount of victimization in rural areas of the state was
outlandish. The department was focused on improving the
situation in rural Alaska and had increased the number of
crime investigators in rural areas. He stated that DPS was
committed to providing law enforcement services to all
areas of the state, regardless of zip code. He thought
conversation with the legislature was important and that
law makers should be appraised of the activity of law
enforcement. He valued meetings with the legislature and
valued learning about the members' concerns.
Representative Cronk appreciated Mr. Cockrell's comments
and thought that the attitude towards change was promising.
2:29:12 PM
Representative Stapp asked about the supplemental budget
request from FY 23. He understood that in the FY 23
request, there were trooper positions that were budgeted
for and filled but were not funded adequately due to the
added need for new vehicles and equipment. The newly hired
troopers were not able to do their jobs because the
necessary equipment and support was not provided. He asked
if the costs of the new positions included the required
equipment.
Ms. Halloran responded that the positions had been
allocated to the department without funding. There were
many costs associated with a position such as outfitting an
employee with a vehicle. She confirmed that the cost of the
vehicle was in the FY 23 supplemental request and the
department would order the vehicles as soon as the
supplemental came through.
Mr. Cockrell was not certain he understood the question.
There were only three positions that DPS decided against
filling. The unfilled positions were wildlife trooper
positions for which the department received no funding. He
relayed that 51 troopers were put through the [AST] academy
in the prior year. He reiterated that he did not understand
the question, but if the question was whether DPS was
holding back on hiring troopers, the answer was that the
department was absolutely not holding back.
Representative Stapp clarified that he was trying to
understand the process. He wanted to ensure that when a
position was budgeted for, the entire cost of the position
was included in the budget request.
Mr. Cockrell responded that there was a formula that DPS
relied upon to determine the costs.
2:32:06 PM
Representative Josephson noted that a few years ago, the
state received a grant from the U.S. Justice Department
because the national media was reporting about the lack of
attention to rural justice in the state. He asked if the
federal support and attention resulted in a permanent shift
in rural justice in Alaska or if the "fanfare" melted away
and resulted in an eventual return to the status quo.
Mr. Cockrell responded that the money from the federal
government was received passively and DPS did not receive
any money directly. He understood that the grants were used
for building housing. The department was always looking at
ways to better provide services which required support from
the administration and the legislature. The department
never had a consistent fund source and it was still
"digging out of the hole" that was caused by the previous
administration due to 40 trooper positions and 40 staff
positions being cut. There was a lot of positive momentum
over the past few years and it was a team effort. He added
that hiring more troopers and VPSOs for rural communities
was a slow process.
Representative Josephson understood that there was a
hierarchy within DPS, but VPSOs were not peace officers and
were not organized. If a VPSO were to be killed in the
field, the officer's family would not get health insurance.
He thought that the coverage for a VPSO was substantially
different than that of other law enforcement officers. He
wondered if VPSOs should be given an elevated position in
the hierarchy.
Mr. Cockrell replied that he saw VPSOs as the same as all
of the other troopers. The feedback that the department had
received from its grantees was that troopers were providing
the necessary support. He indicated that the department had
been looking at hiring a different type of VPSO, referred
to as a Rural Public Safety Officer (RPSO). It was
allowable in statute to promote an officer who already
lived in a rural community to a higher level. The
individual would then attend the trooper academy and if
they succeeded, the trooper position in the rural community
would be backfilled. The program faded away because it was
not successful, however the department thought the program
had potential for the VPSO program. He explained that DPS
was attempting to include intent language in its budget
request to ensure the legality of the process. If
successful, the individuals could work around the state, be
armed, and supervise VPSOs. The individuals would be above
sergeant level and would have a higher level of training
and responsibility. The department was looking at a variety
of avenues, including hiring a VPSO at a lower level and
recruiting individuals who had recently graduated from high
school.
2:38:37 PM
Representative Coulombe thanked the presenters for their
time, particularly during the subcommittee process. She
wanted to ensure that the committee knew that there was a
substantial budget request for improved information systems
due to the costs of implementing the body camera program.
She was supportive of the funding for the cameras and the
informational systems that were required to support the
program. She asked for Mr. Cockrell to speak on the vacancy
rate of the wildlife troopers.
Mr. Cockrell noted it had changed since the last time he
and Representative Coulombe had last spoken and there was
an updated number.
Ms. Halloran responded that the Legislative Finance
Division (LFD) pulled the vacancy numbers for the entire
component, which she would share. For the AST detachments,
which was where the majority of the troopers resided, the
vacancy rate was 11 percent. The wildlife troopers had a
vacancy rate of 10 percent.
2:40:49 PM
Representative Galvin commented that Mr. Cockrell offered
her an encouraging view of the future in an earlier meeting
in her office. She understood that Mr. Cockrell would like
to double VPSO numbers and more than double trooper numbers
to ensure that every Alaskan had access to a VPSO. She
asked about the requested addition of five full-time
permanent positions and wondered if more should be added.
Mr. Cockrell responded that the department had increased
trooper numbers but had not yet reached its goal. The
department was currently authorized for 328 trooper
positions and his goal was to get trooper numbers up 415.
The department was beginning an academy at the end of the
month and he was not certain of the number of recruits yet,
but he reported that the academy numbers in the prior year
were promising.
Representative Galvin asked if there were certain areas of
Alaska that were more challenging for which to find law
enforcement coverage. She had heard about a village near
the border of Canada with no law enforcement coverage in
which the citizens would follow every car that entered the
village to determine whether the visitors were drug
dealers. She asked how equal distribution of law
enforcement coverage was determined.
Mr. Cockrell responded that the most important component
was to look at the crime rates in a given area. For
example, the YukonKuskokwim Delta (YK Delta) still needed
additional troopers and VPSOs. There were over 300 sexual
assaults in the YK Delta in the prior year which was by far
the highest number apart from Anchorage. Public safety
officers in the villages north of Fairbanks had reported to
him that they were struggling with drugs in the communities
and had purchased a drug dog for the VPSOs. Meth was a huge
problem in the area. He noted that the situation in Toguiak
was the same and it was an area of concern. Despite its
problems, he thought that Alaska was still the greatest
state in the nation and had the capacity for incredible
success. He thought troopers were set apart from other
public safety agencies because of the positive way the
troopers treated the citizens of the state. He added that
there were many other duties for which troopers were
responsible, such as the registering sex offenders which
was a difficult position to fill. He was proud of the
troopers and thought they had significant responsibilities
beyond law enforcement. The uniform held prestige in the
state and he was proud to wear it.
2:47:43 PM
Representative Tomaszewski commended the presenters for
taking on a difficult job. He was glad to hear that Mr.
Cockrell had pride in the trooper uniform. He asked how
many communities in the state were slated to have a VPSO
presence.
Mr. Cockrell responded that he did not have an exact number
with him. However, most communities he had visited either
wanted to be assigned a trooper or a VPSO offer. He offered
to follow up with the total number of communities served.
Representative Tomaszewski asked for confirmation that Mr.
Cockrell did not have a total number of communities served.
Mr. Cockrell responded that if the department could hire a
trooper or VPSO, most communities would accept the officer.
He relayed that there were 329 [228] recognized tribes in
the state and most wanted some form of law enforcement. The
program continued to grow. He had a future goal to assign
VPSOs to international airports in order to crack down on
sex trafficking. He thought airports could be a vulnerable
environment.
Co-Chair Edgmon echoed Representative Tomaszewski's
comments and appreciated the work of the presenters. In the
prior year, when SB 81 was signed into law it gave VPSOs
higher standing, increased pay, and better housing options.
He thanked Mr. Cockrell for meeting with him and Senator
Lyman Hoffman regarding the issue of gill netters in
Bristol Bay. He reiterated his gratitude for Mr. Cockrell's
help on the issues.
2:51:53 PM
Co-Chair Johnson thanked the troopers for their work. She
understood that the troopers were both the first line of
defense for crimes and the first social service responders.
She recognized that the troopers were trained at a higher
level than any other law enforcement agency in the country.
Co-Chair Johnson reviewed the agenda for the following
day's meeting.
HB 39 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 41 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
2:54:07 PM
The meeting was adjourned at 2:54 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Public Safety Overview - H Finance 2 21 2023.pdf |
HFIN 2/21/2023 1:30:00 PM |
HB 39 |
| DPS ObjectivesHFIN Overview 022123.pdf |
HFIN 2/21/2023 1:30:00 PM |
HB 39 |
| HFIN Committee DPS FY2024 Budget Overview (2.21.23) Follow Up.pdf |
HFIN 2/21/2023 1:30:00 PM |