Troopers’ handling of paper’s complaint a positive step forward

On Tuesday, Col. James Cockrell, director of the Alaska State Troopers, showed the courage befitting the leader of the state’s police force when he spoke two of the most difficult words in the English language.

“I’m sorry.”

Cockrell’s apology came during a meeting with Frontiersman staff about the paper’s formal complaint over the seizure of a reporter’s camera memory card in September. Cockrell admitted the card should not have been seized and personally apologized for troopers’ actions in the case.

The apology came after Cockrell told the paper a four-month investigation into the incident by the state’s Office of Professional Standards found a trooper sergeant had no right to seize the card — a contention the Frontiersman made when we complained shortly after the seizure.

The Frontiersman is satisfied with the results of this investigation and the seriousness with which it was conducted. All along we only sought to prove that law enforcement had no right to seize our property, and Cockrell’s admission does that.

We never asked for an apology, and frankly, one was not expected. It’s common these days for law enforcement to maintain a stoic face when confronted with criticism — an attitude that often leads to further mistrust between police and those they’re sworn to protect. While we didn’t expect troopers to adopt a confrontational position, we were pleasantly surprised by Col. Cockrell’s simple act of contrition. The fact that Cockrell cared enough about his department’s relationship with the public to issue an apology was both stunning and inspiring because it showed how seriously he and the state Department of Public Safety took the matter.

The relationship between police and the communities they serve is one of the most important social bonds we have in society. Police are tasked with an extraordinarily dangerous and stressful job, one that requires them to make life-or-death decisions in an instant.

While this particular case didn’t involve such high stakes, the principles involved — freedom of speech and freedom from unlawful search and seizure — are vital pieces of what make our country great. It should be comforting to everyone that the head of the state troopers recognizes and understands this.

Across our nation, abuse of authority by police has become one of the major issues of our modern age. Many of these incidents have been caught on camera, further illustrating the need for openness and accountability on the part of law enforcement.

When Col. Cockrell apologized for the mistake made by one of his officers, he spoke up for all the good cops out there who understand how vital it is for communities to have faith in their police force. His professional and thorough handling of this incident has satisfied our complaint and has, in fact, strengthened our belief in the men and women who put their lives on the line to serve and protect the communities they love.

We hope that this matter can help build greater understanding and accountability between law enforcement and the public. We’d also like to say two words to the colonel: "Thank you."