SB 198-POLICE OFFICER PROTECTIONS/CERTIFICATION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:06:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  FRENCH  announced  the  consideration  of  SB  198.  [CSSB                                                               
198(STA), labeled 27-LS1306\D, was before the committee.]                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:06:32 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BILL WIELECHOWSKI,  sponsor of  SB 198,  said this  bill                                                               
puts some protections in place for police officers.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:08:05 PM                                                                                                                    
CRIS  GIFFORD,  Patrol  Sergeant, Juneau  Police  Department  and                                                               
Municipal President, Public  Safety Employees Association (PSEA),                                                               
stated support  for SB 198. He  said that while it  may sometimes                                                               
be necessary  for the Alaska  Police Standards Council  (APSC) to                                                               
revoke  a law  enforcement certificate,  the employee  facing the                                                               
discipline  should have  the right  to  have his/her  certificate                                                               
suspended pending  a decision to  terminate. This would  keep the                                                               
disciplined  officer from  practicing law  enforcement but  still                                                               
afford him/her  the right to  be heard  before the court.  SB 198                                                               
allows police organizations  to continue to use  the polygraph in                                                               
a pre-employment selection process. What  the bill does change is                                                               
that it allows  an officer to decline to take  a polygraph in the                                                               
event of an administrative  investigation of possible wrongdoing.                                                               
This affords  police officers  the same  right that  other Alaska                                                               
citizens enjoy.  Finally, the bill would  require law enforcement                                                               
agencies  to  obtain  an   employee's  consent  before  releasing                                                               
his/her  personal information  to the  public. This  is important                                                               
because  the  department  may  be  unaware  of  threats  made  to                                                               
specific  officers  during the  course  of  their employment.  He                                                               
recounted a personal experience.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:11:26 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR FRENCH announced he would hold SB 198 in committee.