PUBLISHER'S NOTEBOOK: We need more Troopers. Period.

Last Saturday I attended a town hall meeting at Meadow Lakes Elementary School hosted by Representative Mark Neuman. Many State and local dignitaries were in attendance including the State’s Attorney General. Crime was the dominating topic of discussion.

As citizens began to speak about crime in their Meadow Lakes neighborhoods it became clear that the people of Meadow Lakes are fed up. It’s not that they believe the Troopers are doing a poor job; it’s more about the lack of Troopers in the Mat-Su Valley. They’re also frustrated with criminals who are caught and then given a slap on the wrist and released. SB91, in their opinion, has made Alaska soft on crime. The lack of Trooper presence has left them vulnerable, but don’t call them victims. Citizens like Pastor Chad Scott proclaimed that they will do what it takes to protect their neighborhoods. They’re not vigilantes, but hyper-aware of the criminal element that dwells in their midst. They’ve grown tired of the length of time it takes for Troopers to respond when their property has been stolen or other criminal activity takes place. No one is blaming the current AST staff but with so few troopers it’s just the way it is for Mat-Su Borough residents that live outside of the jurisdiction of Wasilla and Palmer police departments.

Meanwhile, in the Williwaw subdivision, residents are banding together to form a neighborhood watch group. Weary from years of squatters and drug dealers infesting their neighborhood, piles of trash in some less desirables’ yards and people living in cars. Williwaw wants its neighborhood back. One doesn’t have to imagine how terrible it could be there. At last Tuesday’s borough assembly meeting, a little girl named Leone gave a heart-wrenching account of how fearful she is of being kidnapped. She doesn’t feel safe in her own front yard or waiting for her school bus. As Leone’s voice cracked, my heart broke. No child should have to spend their childhood afraid. Leone’s sister, who is now 15, will never know what it was like to grow up in a neighborhood where you don’t have to be afraid to simply walk and enjoy the sight and sounds of normalcy. Instead she can only hope something is done while her sister is still a little.

Back at the Meadow Lakes town hall meeting, a lanky young man was introduced as Meadow Lakes lone civil patrol officer. He wore a black Carhartt-type jacket with the letters ACP (Area wide Civil Patrol) embroidered in large font on the left breast. He patrols the neighborhoods on his own time and dime. I asked him what he did to make a living and he told me he is unemployed but his girlfriend works at Subway. He described his vehicle to me which is a gas guzzler. He pays for the gas himself. He received EMT 1 training and a few ride alongs with whom he described as his Captain. That’s the extent of his training.

During the townhall, AST Director Col. Hans Brinke was asked if he supports having civil patrol. His response was interesting. “Yes and no.” The reason he gave for his answer is that while he likes that citizens are involved and reporting crime, he doesn’t like the additional pressure it puts on his Troopers. Basically, what he is saying is the Troopers are undermanned and they go from one call to next. There’s never a dull moment in the life of a Trooper. If every neighborhood has a civil patrol, who doesn’t have the authority to arrest criminals or the training to gather and log evidence so the criminal can actually be prosecuted, then really, what’s the point?

John Skidmore, director of the Criminal Division in the Department of Law, also agreed that he appreciates the citizen engagement but emphasized that there is more to it than the arrest. Training civil patrol or neighborhood watch groups in evidence gathering would be crossing a line and it becomes a liability issue. He was skeptical that any apprehensions by civil patrol or reserve personnel would end with successful prosecutions.

Last week, Borough Mayor Vern Halter sent a letter to Governor Walker and a separate letter to the Mat-Su delegation asking for more troopers. He notes that in 2005, when the borough had a population of 74,000 we had 50 troopers; now, with a population of 104,000, we have 34 troopers. He is asking for 15 additional Troopers in this budget cycle and for the borough to have a total of 65 in the next three years. We currently have 41 funded but unfilled Trooper positions in Alaska. These aren’t your typical patrols as Col. Brinke pointed out.

“They’re not patrolling malls and bowling alleys” Brinke said. “These are officers that have to ride snowmachines and patrol some rough territory.”

But patrolling the Mat-Su Borough isn’t the same as patrolling the extreme rural communities. Could the State shift some of those open positions that are not being filled to the Mat-Su?

Back to the Williwaw neighborhood, there are calls for the City of Wasilla to annex Williwaw. That’s not going to happen. But I asked Mayor Bert Cottle what would the cost be to add patrols into neighborhoods outside of the city limits. He estimates $150,000 per officer. So let’s say that the residents of Williwaw formed some kind of community council and approached Cottle about patrolling their neighborhood of 368 properties. They would have to come up with $407.61 per property owner per year to pay for each officer needed.

Are they all willing to do so?

It’s a complicated problem. Area-wide civilian patrols and neighborhood watches are going to be the band aid until a viable solution can be found. This leaves everyone vulnerable, especially those like the young man I met at the Meadow Lakes town hall.

He told me he carries a weapon, but never ever confronts. But what happens if he’s confronted?

Retired Trooper Col. Tom Anderson told the panel that they have to give these citizens guidelines. It is the one thing the state can do and has to do. Somebody is going to be put in a seriously compromising position, or worse, without some direction. The bottom line is, the State of Alaska has to step up to protect the citizens of the second-most populated borough in the state. But will they?