Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/02/2024 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
April 2, 2024
3:49 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Scott Kawasaki, Chair
Senator Matt Claman, Vice Chair
Senator Jesse Bjorkman
Senator Bill Wielechowski
Senator Kelly Merrick
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Alaska Police Standards Council
Jeff Brown - Juneau
Ron Dupee - Juneau
Dusty Dumont - Juneau
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JEFF BROWN, Appointee
Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as the governor's appointee to the
Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC).
RON DUPEE, Appointee
Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC).
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as the governor's appointee to the
Police Standards Council (APSC).
DUSTY DUMONT, Appointee
Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC).
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as the governor's appointee to the
Police Standards Council (APSC).
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:49:51 PM
CHAIR SCOTT KAWASAKI called the Senate State Affairs Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:49 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Claman, Bjorkman, Wielechowski, Merrick, and
Chair Kawasaki.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
ALSAKA POLICE STANDARDS COUNCIL
3:50:21 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of the governor's
appointee Chief Jeff Brown to the Alaska Police Standards
Council (APSC).
3:51:11 PM
JEFF BROWN, Appointee, Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC),
Juneau, Alaska, provided a brief work history. He stated that if
confirmed, this would be his second term on the Alaska Police
Standards Council (APSC). He expressed appreciation for the
review of his nomination and highlighted his enjoyment in
serving on the council. With 24 years of experience in law
enforcement, including the last 18 years in Alaska, he said he
has held various positions with both the North Slope Borough and
the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS). In the latter, he
served in the professional standards unit as both an
investigator and later a supervisor. Since early 2018, he has
been serving as Chief of Police for the North Slope Borough.
3:52:12 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI asked whether he was part of a recent APSC
discussion regarding allowing correctional officers, starting at
age 18, to serve in their roles. He inquired whether he was
involved in that discussion and whether it extended beyond
correctional officers.
3:52:37 PM
CHIEF BROWN acknowledged that a representative from the
Department of Corrections (DOC) was also involved in the
discussion. The proposal to reduce the minimum age for
correctional officers from 21 to 18 came at the request of the
Department of Corrections to aid in recruitment and retention
for hard-to-fill positions. Public testimony was solicited, and
comments were received, but no action has been taken as further
discussions are needed. He noted concerns regarding maturity
levels of younger individuals and suggested exploring
alternative approaches. He invited any further questions on the
topic or his personal views.
3:53:57 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN requested his personal perspective on the
proposal.
3:54:04 PM
CHIEF BROWN replied that the North Slope Borough runs a
municipal corrections facility where officers can be hired at
age 19. He emphasized that the effectiveness of hiring younger
individuals depends on the department's hiring standards and
screening processes. As long as departments maintain robust
screening practices, he believes it can be beneficial to open
these positions to younger applicants. He mentioned that
dispatch positions are open to 18-year-olds, which initially
came with some concerns but dealing with the learning curves has
been manageable. As a profession, law enforcement must adapt
with the times, and offering younger individuals career
opportunities can help them grow and potentially retire from the
field.
3:55:18 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on the confirmation of
Chief Brown; hearing none, he closed public testimony.
3:55:45 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI requested comments on two bills currently in the
legislature. One involves creating a use of force registry, and
the other pertains to banning the use of chokeholds at the state
and municipal levels for law enforcement officers. He noted that
as a member of APSC, Mr. Brown plays a role in developing and
revising law enforcement training and asked for his insights on
these legislative efforts.
3:56:28 PM
CHIEF BROWN first addressed the proposal to ban chokeholds,
explaining that most law enforcement in Alaska already considers
chokeholds, including carotid artery restraints, as deadly
force. Alaska state statute defines the restriction of blood
flow to the brain or airflow as a chokehold, which is classified
as deadly force. Therefore, officers must meet the deadly force
criteria before using such methods. He clarified that chokeholds
cannot be used as restraint holds. Regarding the proposed use of
force registry, he mentioned that he was not familiar with the
specifics of the bill and was unable to provide further comments
on that topic.
3:57:58 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI expressed appreciation for his service to the
North Slope Borough and his willingness to serve another term on
APSC. He acknowledged the time commitment involved, including
time away from family and other duties.
3:58:29 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of the governor's
appointee Chief Ron Dupee to the Alaska Police Standards Council
(APSC).
3:58:49 PM
RON DUPEE, Appointee, Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC),
Juneau, Alaska, provided a brief work history. He stated that he
has served as Chief of the Fairbanks Police Department for the
past three years but has been with the department for 21 years
in total. With over 25 years of experience in law enforcement,
he noted he has been a member of APSC for about eight months
after taking over for the former Juneau Chief upon his
retirement. He expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to
continue serving on the council if confirmed.
3:59:36 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI inquired about a regulation change allowing
correctional officers to be hired at age 18 and above, noting
that the current law requires candidates to be at least 21. He
asked for his thoughts on this proposal, mentioning that the
idea originated from APSC. He expressed uncertainty on whether
he was a member at the time.
4:00:05 PM
CHIEF DUPEE clarified that he did participate in the discussion
regarding the age requirement for correctional officers, which
took place during an emergency meeting outside the regular
schedule. He echoed Chief Brown's sentiments, stating that as
long as hiring practices are selective and rigorous, lowering
the age limit could be beneficial for DOC and other law
enforcement agencies. He noted that many corrections officers
transition into law enforcement roles throughout the state,
suggesting that there is potential for positive outcomes.
However, he acknowledged that further work and discussions are
needed on the topic.
4:01:04 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on the appointment of
Chief Dupee; finding none, he closed public testimony.
4:01:39 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI expressed appreciation for Chief Dupee's openness
and availability to his office regarding issues in downtown
Fairbanks. He mentioned looking forward to the upcoming weekend
event for the demolition of the Polaris Hotel, remarking that it
is "about time."
4:02:11 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of the governor's
appointee Dusty Dumont to the Alaska Police Standards Council
(APSC).
4:02:31 PM
DUSTY DUMONT, Appointee, Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC),
Juneau, Alaska, provided a brief educational and work history.
She introduced herself as the Director of the Division of
Pretrial, Probation, and Parole (DP3) with DOC, having over 21
years of experience in the department and over 26 years in
corrections overall. She highlighted her background as a
probation officer, a role she finds fulfilling. Born and raised
in Juneau, she moved to Ohio for college, where he majored in
basketball and track while earning a degree in criminal justice.
After graduation, she worked at a state penitentiary in
Washington for approximately five years before returning to
Juneau to raise her two children for five years. She resumed his
career in 2002 as a field probation officer and has since held
various positions within the system, gaining a statewide
perspective on corrections and law enforcement. She supervises
offices from Utqiagvik to Ketchikan and expressed that joining
APSC is an honor she takes seriously, aligning with the
council's mission of accountability, professionalism, service,
and character. She stated that she believes her experience and
personality will be a good fit for the council.
4:04:52 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN asked for her perspective on the legislation that
proposes to reduce the age requirement for correctional officers
from 21 to 18 considering her position in DOC.
4:05:02 PM
MS. DUMONT acknowledged the insights shared by the previous
Chiefs regarding the age requirement for correctional officers.
She expressed that maturity varies significantly among
individuals, citing examples of very mature 18-year-olds and
immature 39-year-olds. She emphasized that age should not be the
primary consideration; instead, the focus should be on meeting
the basic requirements for the role, as well as providing
adequate training and ongoing support to help individuals work
effectively with the correctional population and establish
appropriate boundaries.
4:05:48 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on the appointment of Ms.
Dumont; finding none, he closed public testimony.
4:06:04 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI asked for her comments on two bills currently
under consideration by the committee, which relate to a ban on
chokeholds and the establishment of a use of force registry. He
noted that APSC is involved in compliance with laws and
regulations and in revising them, emphasizing the importance of
her insights on these matters.
4:06:45 PM
MS. DUMONT stated that she is unfamiliar with the specifics of
the chokehold ban proposal. However, she referenced Chief
Brown's earlier comments on the topic, agreeing with his
assessment that the use of a chokehold must be considered in the
context of deadly force. She affirmed that adherence to existing
laws is crucial.
4:07:50 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI solicited a motion.
4:07:54 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN moved Jeff Brown, Ron Dupree, Dusty Dumont,
appointees to the Alaska Police Standards Council, be forwarded
to a Joint Session of the legislature for consideration.
Signing the report(s) regarding appointments to boards and
commissions in no way reflects individual members' approval or
disapproval of the appointees; the nominations are merely
forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or rejection.
4:08:16 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI found no objection; he stated that [in accordance
with AS 39.05.080] the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee
reviewed the following and recommends the appointments be
forwarded to a joint session for consideration:
Alaska Police Standards Council
Jeff Brown - Juneau
Ron Dupee - Juneau
Dusty Dumont - Juneau
4:09:07 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Kawasaki adjourned the Senate State Affairs Standing
Committee meeting at 4:09 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Handeland Personnel Board Resume_Redacted.pdf |
SSTA 4/2/2024 3:30:00 PM |
Confirmations |
| Dusty Dumont Police Standards Resume_Redacted.pdf |
SSTA 4/2/2024 3:30:00 PM |
confirmation |
| jeff brown Police standards Resume_Redacted.pdf |
SSTA 4/2/2024 3:30:00 PM |
confirmation |
| Ron Dupee Police Standards Resume 2023_Redacted.pdf |
SSTA 4/2/2024 3:30:00 PM |
confirmation |