Beginning in July, the Haines Borough Police Department will initiate a program to put three trained volunteer officers into service with staff officers for high-volume town events.
Program expenses will be funded by a state Department of Public Safety $20,000 grant Haines Police secured earlier this month, chief Heath Scott said. Costs expected are uniforms and equipment.
Volunteer officers would serve alongside staff at highly trafficked events, such as Brew Fest, the 2019 triathlon and the Fourth of July celebration in Haines, said borough manager Debra Schnabel.
Scott said auxiliary officers would also be useful when he needs to send a staff officer to training.
An open-call for trained volunteer officers will be advertised once the department determines requirements. Scott said that a likely minimum requirement will be for officers to have received Alaska Police Standard Council training, the division that certifies all law enforcement in the state.
Scott said using a state-trained officer reduces the department’s liability if officers understand local laws.
Special police service appointment is allowed under Haines Borough Code. It states “Special policemen shall have the powers vested in the regular borough policemen. Such special policemen shall, however, serve on a temporary basis and only when and as specifically required by the police chief, and shall function only under the direction of the police chief.”
Schnabel said current code would be modified to explicitly state that auxiliary services will be volunteer positions, and Haines’ legal counsel and insurance agent vetted and approved the program.