Villages plead for resources to fight crime. AnchorageDailyNews article
ALASKA'S NEWSPAPER Anchorage Daily News More Top stories » Bush pledges to slice earmarks Villages plead for resources to fight crime Seattle public defender to take Wade's case Burst pipes soak offices Villages plead for resources to fight crime SAFETY OFFICERS: A Senate task force supports a $4.45-per-hour raise and filling 64 new positions. By JAMES HALPIN jhalpin@adn.com | jhalpin@adn.com Published: January 29th, 2008 12:01 AM Last Modified: January 29th, 2008 02:54 AM Big pay raises and a doubling in force size are needed for the Village Public Safety Officer program, which is severely underfunded and under-equipped to fight crime in the Bush, according to an Alaska Senate task force report finalized Monday. To improve -- and, in some cases, create -- law enforcement in Bush villages, the task force is recommending a nearly $4.45-per-hour increase in officer wages and the hiring of 64 safety officers in villages that have too few or none, which would more than double the e...