Legislature(2021 - 2022)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/27/2021 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB10 | |
| SB81 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 81 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 81-VILLAGE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER GRANTS
4:04:20 PM
CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 81,
"An Act requiring background investigations of village public
safety officer applicants by the Department of Public Safety;
relating to the village public safety officer program; and
providing for an effective date."
CHAIR HUGHES noted that the proposed committee substitute (CS)
for SB 81 was based on the changes the sponsor's office
recommended.
SENATOR MYERS moved to adopt the CS for SB 81, work order 32-
LS0362\I, as the working document.
4:04:59 PM
CHAIR HUGHES objected for discussion purposes.
4:05:09 PM
SENATOR DONNY OLSON, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,
sponsor of SB 81, characterized the legislation as a work in
progress over the last several years. It would require the
Department of Public Safety (DPS) to conduct background
investigations on VPSO applicants and provide an effective date.
He deferred further comment to his staff, Mr. Truitt.
4:05:48 PM
KEN TRUITT, Staff, Senator Donny Olson, Alaska State
Legislature, reminded the committee that during the initial
hearing on SB 81, he mentioned that the stakeholders were
interested in amending the original bill to retain management of
the VPSO Program grant within the Department of Public Safety
(DPS) rather than transferring it to the Department of Commerce,
Community and Economic Development (DCCED). That is what the CS,
version I, accomplishes. He noted that only the former Section 5
was affected. It proposed an amendment to DCCED's enabling
statute to give specific authority to that department to manage
the grant. That section was removed, and the subsequent four
sections were renumbered accordingly.
4:07:30 PM
CHAIR HUGHES found no questions or comments and removed her
objection. Finding no further objection, CSSB 81, version I, was
adopted as the working document.
4:08:09 PM
CHAIR HUGHES announced invited testimony.
4:08:18 PM
JASON WILSON, Manager, Public Safety Department, Central Council
Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Juneau, Alaska,
advised that he has been the region's VPSO coordinator for about
16 years. He related that Tlingit & Haida has over 32,000 rural
tribal citizens throughout the state, many of whom live in
communities that are not connected to the road system. They are
most accessible by boat or plane. In these communities, the VPSO
program fills a critical law enforcement need. He reported that
Tlingit & Haida currently has 10 VPSOs located in Hydaburg,
Saxman, Kake, Angoon, Pelican, Kasaan, and Thorn Bay.
MR. WILSON stated support for SB 81 and thanked the sponsor and
his staff for their tireless work on the legislation to provide
more flexibility within the VPSO program so coordinators are
able fill VPSO positions and get the equipment that officers
need to do their job. He said the program was developed in 1978
and many of the statutes and regulations governing the program
have not been updated since then.
He mentioned the importance of government-to-government
communication and expressed confidence that SB 81 would help
ensure that funding for the VPSO Program does not change with
each administration and DPS commissioner. He reiterated Tlingit
and Haida's support for SB 81 and its commitment to stand with
the state to find solutions to provide public safety to rural
communities in Alaska.
4:15:41 PM
MICHAEL NEMETH, VPSO Coordinator, Aleutian Pribilof Islands
Association (APIA), Anchorage, Alaska, stated that he has been a
certified village public safety officer since 2002 and the VPSO
Coordinator for APIA for the past nine years. He described SB 81
as a bipartisan boots-on-the-ground all stakeholder effort to
improve the VPSO Program.
He related that the training requirement for VPSOs under 13 AAC
96.100 of the Alaska Administrative Code is 240 hours, which is
shamefully low. Officers currently receive 1,000 hours of
training at the academy as well as 96 hours of rural fire
protection training, but an arbitrary decision could reduce that
training to the minimum. Additionally, just some VPSO programs
continue to provide emergency trauma technician training because
it is no longer required. This change was made without
consultation. He said interpretation of the code and regulation
has been inconsistent and it has affected the ability of VPSOs
to do their job.
4:18:32 PM
MR. NEMETH highlighted that SB 81 sets the minimum training
requirement to 826 hours, 650 hours of which is law enforcement
training. This is the minimum that the Alaska Police Standards
Council will accept for a police officer in Alaska. He expressed
support for 96 hours of rural fire protection training,
reinstating the 40 hours of emergency trauma technician
training, and 40 hours for search and rescue. He noted that the
Alaska Law Enforcement Training Academy currently devotes just
eight hours to search and rescue. He said the proposed new
minimum training hours will give VPSOs confidence to fulfill the
duties of the position, help with recruitment and retention, and
improve the overall quality of the officer.
4:21:21 PM
DARRELL HILDEBRAND, VPSO Coordinator, Public Safety Director,
Tanana Chiefs Conference, Fairbanks, Alaska, stated that he
retired as an Alaska State Trooper after 20 years of service.
Tanana Chiefs Conference hired him as the VPSO Coordinator about
18 months ago. He stated support for SB 81 generally and
specifically for the flexibility to allow TCC to utilize roving
VPSOs. He noted that not explicitly prohibited in the previous
regulations, but administrations viewed the need to budget for
them differently. SB 81 eliminates the fear that a new
administration might withhold funding to a grantee for using the
rover program.
MR. HILDEBRAND highlighted the advantages of roving VPSOs. They
serve multiple communities with less manpower, provide
continuity of service, and provide coverage when the Alaska
State Troopers (AST) cannot fly into a village due to weather or
manpower issues. He related that the TCC region has 37 villages
with no public safety presence except through limited AST rural
visits. The rover program was very effective in the past and
made it possible for TCC to serve more communities with limited
VPSOs.
He acknowledged the perceived drawback to the rover program was
that it created a significant increase in TCC's travel budget.
However, the positive outcomes included community policing,
identification of infrastructure needs such as fire protection,
general outreach, and increased law enforcement presence. He
said the relationship with AST counterparts is strong, the rover
program has a proven record, and it is the best solution to the
high demand and need for VPSOs in the TCC region that has
limited law enforcement resources.
MR. HILDEBRAND thanked the sponsor for introducing SB 81, which
would allow TCC the flexibility to utilize rover VPSOs to better
serve communities.
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON asked Mr. Nemeth in what community he
worked as a VPSO.
MR. NEMETH answered that as the VPSO Coordinator for the
Aleutian Pribilof Island region he is based in the main office
in Anchorage. He noted that as an officer he served in the
communities of Saint George and Nelson Lagoon.
4:25:56 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked if he supported the 826 hours of training or
if he was suggesting changes. She noted he specified 40 hours
for emergency medical services training.
MR. NEMETH said having the 826 hours in the bill and the
flexibility to formulate the training as he enumerated seemed
reasonable, but it would be more straightforward it was
specified in the bill.
4:27:10 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked him to submit the list to the committee and
she would provide it to the sponsor to have the conversation.
The address is [email protected].
CHAIR HUGHES asked Mr. Hildebrand if regional rover VPSOs were
specifically mentioned in the bill or if he was suggesting they
be allowed.
4:27:55 PM
MR. HILDEBRAND replied the bill does not specifically mention
regional rovers, but it allows grantees the flexibility to work
with the program office ... [The call was dropped].
CHAIR HUGHES asked the sponsor if the use of regional rovers was
a specific provision in the bill.
4:28:38 PM
SENATOR OLSON answered it was a good idea. He deferred to Mr.
Truitt to point to the location in the bill that provides
flexibility to use rovers.
4:28:50 PM
MR. TRUITT directed attention to page 5, lines 4-10 that speaks
to one VPSO per village and the option for the grant recipient
to request more than one. He said the bill was specifically
drafted to remove the prohibition against hiring itinerant
roving VPSOs and make the practice acceptable.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if he was saying that was addressed in the
bill or if clarifying language was necessary.
MR. TRUITT replied he would verify that it was addressed and
communicate the exact page and line.
4:30:19 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON commented on her experience with the VPSO
Program when she was the city manager for the City of Akutan
from 2009-2012. She thanked the sponsor for bringing the bill
forward and noted that she was a co-sponsor.
CHAIR HUGHES asked Mr. Truitt if he had closing comments.
4:30:50 PM
MR. TRUITT answered the Chair's question about roving VPSOs. He
read subsection (f) on page 5 and relayed that Legislative Legal
did not use the term "roving" based on their drafting manual.
Rather, the provision refers to traveling village public safety
officers who serve multiple villages within the grantee's
region.
4:31:17 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked him to follow up with Mr. Hildebrand and
relay that information.
4:31:57 PM
CHAIR HUGHES [held SB 81 in committee.]