Contributed by Jim Sykes
Crime is up. Drug use is up. The number of Alaska State Troopers is down - to a level of fewer police officers now serving the City of Wasilla.
Last time the Mat-Su Borough tackled crime issues in a major way was 15 years ago. Surveys were conducted and then Mayor Menard's Blue Ribbon Task Force produced a report called “Crime in the Mat-Su Borough.”
Some of the recommendations were implemented. Contracting for additional state troopers was not.
As a second-class borough, the borough needs to ask voters for police powers in order to use taxpayer funds for any police activities. as a preliminary step, an advisory question on police powers is before borough voters on October 2:
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough does not have police powers. Without police powers, the borough cannot contract for additional state troopers or city police coverage, contract directly for police officers, create police service districts or other possible options to provide for enhanced police service. If granted police powers, the borough could purse these options and still allow the cities to maintain their own police departments if the cities agree. Any future plan to obtain police powers will require additional voter approval.
Should the Matanuska-Susitna Borough investigate and consider steps to develop a proposal to voters that adds police powers to its responsibilities?
Summed up, it basically asks if people are satisfied with the way things are, or whether the borough should start looking into some useful options, costs and widespread community discussion?
A wide variety of interpretations has been given to the question. If people vote yes, will it actually provide police powers to the borough? Will our taxes go up? Will the borough create its own police force? Will it take police powers away from cities? No. No. No. and no.
The question is advisory only. It asks whether the borough should examine wide variety police service options at different levels and estimated costs. The results of research and people's input will be presented to the public for more widespread discussion before the borough decides to bring any proposal to voters for police powers.
However one chooses to vote, the advice is important. For example, if people in Wasilla vote no, but areas around Wasilla vote yes, it will give some clues toward possible solutions. Are people who live in more remote areas concerned with crime as much as those living in more densely-populated areas?
What are the alternatives? Are cities, themselves, going to expand police service outside their borders? Probably not.
Mayor Vern Halter made a strong request to Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to restore the level of Trooper numbers Mat-Su had in the past. Commissioner Monegan's reply letter said, “...the Mat-Su Post is one of the more fully staffed posts compared with other ones.” Monegan agreed that Mat-Su needs more troopers, but that additional requests had also been made from other communities at a time there are fewer troopers to provide.
Wasilla police serves it's roughly 12,000 residents who live within 13 square miles with about 36 officers. Around 24 officers serve Palmer's 7,000 people within 5½ square miles.
Both Palmer and Wasilla provide about one police officer per 1,000 people in their cities. For the 90,000 of us not living in Wasilla or Palmer, there is one trooper available per 12,800 people from the six or seven troopers that may be on the road from the northern borough to communities surrounding Wasilla and Palmer, and Butte to Lake Louise.
Will cities annex areas beyond their boundaries to provide police? Palmer examined the idea last December and said no. That more or less leaves private citizens with private security firms, game cams, more lights, additional fencing and other necessities to stop property crime and drug incidents. A lady from Lazy Mountain recently emailed me and said she had moved to Palmer “for the sole purpose of being protected by a responsive police force.”
The Mat-Su Borough was created by Alaska legislators to be a regional government. If something is going to change should the borough be a positive part of it? Should Mat-Su find the options, the costs, and involve the public in coming up with a proposal to take to voters?
Please answer with your vote on October 2nd.
Jim Sykes represents District 1 on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly. He introduced the ballot measure in June and other assembly members massaged it for several weeks before voting to place the police powers advisory question on the ballot in August.