Wasilla police association makes first candidate endorsements

WASILLA — Police officers and employees are doing more than serving and protecting these days. They’re also becoming more politically active.

For the first time since forming in 2006, the Wasilla Police Department Association has endorsed a pair of candidates seeking election to Wasilla City Council. Officer Jentry Crain spoke on behalf of the association at a Friday press conference announcing the group’s support of incumbent Seat F candidate Mark Ewing and Seat E hopeful Dianne Woodruff.

Crain said the police association is behind Ewing and Woodruff because they “stand for what’s right.”

“Through out experience, [Ewing] has supported the [city] employees,” he said. “He has been constantly fighting for employees since he’s been in office.”

A strong factor in backing Ewing and Woodruff is their support of Wasilla Prop. 1. Not to be confused with the Mat-Su Borough’s Private Property Protection Act, Wasilla Prop. 1 asks voters to repeal the city’s meet and confer system of handling personnel concerns and instead deferring to state guidelines set in the Alaska Public Employment Relations Act. This would include establishing a collective bargaining process or potential unionization.

Crain, who’s also a main sponsor of Wasilla Prop. 1, said the police department does not have any specific qualms with chief Angela Long or how she runs the department. But employees have no protection when administrations change and any potential policy changes that follow.

“[City employees] are only asking for the same rights as everybody else,” he said. “What we do want is the means to have protection and a grievance process that’s fair and equitable. … Chief Long is a good chief. We want things to not go back to the way they were under other administrations.”

For the police department, more stability would help officers provide more consistent level of service, he said.

Approval of the city’s Prop. 1 is not a vote for unionization, Crain said. If employees were to choose to join a union, they would need to vote on that themselves. Now, they cannot.

“It’s still going to be up to a vote to allow the members [of city departments] to decide that,” he said.

In Tuesday’s election, Ewing faces off against Kristopher Larson and Woodruff against Norman Fuller. Both Woodruff and Fuller are seeking the seat now held by Deputy Mayor Ron Cox, who is term-limited from running again.

Woodruff said she was overwhelmed to receive the endorsement from the police association, especially because she’s had to call on Wasilla police to aid her more than once.

Contact Greg Johnson at 352-2268 or greg.johnson@frontiersman.com.