Senate Finance Committee members have two ideas why retention of village public safety officers is poor: the pay is too low and the working conditions are tough.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta officers wait to receive their graduation certificates from Rural Law Enforcement Training at Yuut Elitnaurviat in Bethel on June 14, 2019. is making its way through the Alaska Legislature. The bill’s authors want to improve village public safety officer retention in Alaska.
The committee members have two ideas why the retention is so poor: the pay is too low and the working conditions are tough. Another committee member, Bethel Sen. Lyman Hoffman, added that the way the state’s funding rules are now, the tribal nonprofits don’t have enough leeway to improve the working conditions for their VPSOs.
Former VPSO Ben Beaver Sr. worked in Atmautluak, Akiak, Napakiak and St. Mary’s. He said that it’s helpful for crime prevention when a community has a locally hired VPSO.Beaver Sr. said that when he made an arrest, he would often sit the person down and talk to them about why what they did was wrong. He said that’s a crucial part of Yup’ik culture and can help prevent crime in the future.
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