This is the official stance of the city in response to nationwide questioning since Palin was named the Republican vice presidential nominee. As part of examining Palin’s past political history, many have questioned the governor about statements her then chief of police made that indicate Wasilla had a practice of charging rape victims for costs associated with forensic testing.
The city’s response, signed by current Mayor Dianne M. Keller, doesn’t mention if rape victims were or were not billed for kits previous to the law.
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A May 23, 2000 Frontiersman story says the city, until Knowles signed legislation banning the practice, charged victims for rape kits even though the Alaska State Troopers and some other municipal police departments did not.
Charlie Fannon was Wasilla’s police chief at the time and expressed disappointment with the new law, saying it would cost the Wasilla Police Department $5,000 to $14,000 a year.
“In the past we’ve charged the cost of exams to the victims’ insurance company when possible,” Fannon says in the 2000 article. “I just don’t want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer.”
Fannon’s comments, and his monetary figure, appear to indicate Wasilla did, in fact, charge victims for the forensic kits before the 2000 law. How many times this may have happened is unclear.
Also in the 2000 article, then-Palmer Police Chief Laren Zager said Palmer had never billed anyone for an exam to collect evidence of a crime.
“As long as I am chief, I would never bill a victim,” Zager said at the time.
On Monday, current Wasilla Police Chief Angella Long, who has been with the department since its formation, said she doesn’t have any recollection of any victims who might have been charged for rape kits under Fannon and Palin’s watch.
“You’re going to have to talk to Charlie Fannon,” she said.
Fannon, who now lives in Delta Junction, is unreachable, his son, Josh Fannon, said Monday. Fannon has become the missing link to answer the question whether the city ever collected money from a rape victim. It’s an answer that may never come, Josh Fannon said.
“No one from my family is going to talk about it,” he said.
Wasilla City Clerk Kristie Smithers said the city normally purges records after six years. Because of this, the city doesn’t have data showing one way or another whether any victims, or how many, were ever charged for gathering forensic evidence. She said Fannon would be the one who knows best how many, if any, victims were billed.
Comments
15 comment(s)Capricorn1 wrote on Oct 17, 2008 2:28 AM:
Jim from Boston wrote on Oct 8, 2008 12:24 PM:
Why are you interviewing some cop? "
Yikes From MN wrote on Oct 6, 2008 2:36 PM:
deedee wrote on Oct 5, 2008 4:21 PM:
leinie wrote on Oct 4, 2008 3:36 PM:
D.N wrote on Oct 3, 2008 11:36 AM:
Barracuda is not a compliment wrote on Oct 2, 2008 9:25 AM:
http://www.disastercenter.com/alaska/crime/35.htm
So why did Fannon mislead the public and defend his cruel practice by stating in an interview that charging victims would save the town up to $14,000? "
Trinky wrote on Oct 2, 2008 7:24 AM:
Uh, wrong....Sarah Palin's approval rating is due to her not understanding the real issues facing America. I would hope that Alaska would step up to the plate and not vote her into office just because she's pretty and wears red high heels. Please tell me they are smarter than that! An Oregonian "
long gone wrote on Oct 1, 2008 8:06 PM:
Oops wrote on Oct 1, 2008 10:49 AM:
Niamh wrote on Sep 30, 2008 5:53 PM:
hawkssight wrote on Sep 30, 2008 2:40 PM:
Oops wrote on Sep 30, 2008 1:39 PM:
Brolar wrote on Sep 30, 2008 1:04 PM:
HS wrote on Sep 30, 2008 9:08 AM: