Police patrolman Max Marty joined the Haines police department in September 2025. Both he and police chief Jimmy Yoakum spent 17 weeks attending the state police academy in Fairbanks. The duo completed their training Feb. 1 and have been in Haines since.
Marty sat down with Chilkat Valley News reporter Lizzy Hahn on April 2 to talk about his new role.

Editor’s note: This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Lizzy Hahn: Where are you from and how long have you been in Haines?

Max Marty: I was born in Montana. I’ve been in Haines for about four years with my wife and two kids, soon to be three kids. I’ve been on with the department since last September.

We saw that you were a harbormaster here.

I was the assistant harbormaster for about two years, and then I was the interim harbormaster when Sean Bell, at the time, went to go have his kid in Juneau. So I was taking over for him for about a month, I believe. That’s where most people know me from, is the harbor.

What made you decide to leave the harbor job and become a police officer?

It’s better paying and it’s one of the jobs that I still am able to spend a lot of time with my kids. I’m working four 10s so I’ll get three days off during the work week with my family and that’s important to me. I like to stay in this town. I want to stay in this town, and this is a good, honorable position to do that.

Is policing what you expected it to be like? Have you done anything like this before?

I have no law enforcement background.

How did you choose to take a position here in Haines? What drew you to Alaska from out of state?

This is one of the jobs that will keep me in Haines. I really like this town, and this is a good job that will be full-time year-round, and I get to work with people that I like: Travis [Russell], my FTO, excellent co-worker, Sergeant [Max] Jusi, excellent co-worker, and the new chief. I spent a little over four months with him [Jimmy Yoakum], rooming together in the University of Fairbanks for the academy. So I got to spend a lot of time with him, and he’s a great guy. I like everybody that I work with a lot and that makes life easy.

How has your experience been thus far in the department? Have there been any highlights that you really enjoyed?

Things that I could talk about. I’ve had a few cases so far, some theft cases but as far as day-to-day action, it’s been fairly busy and I like it. I get to be outside and I get to make contacts with people that I’ve known prior in Haines, so I like it.

Have there been any big challenges since working in Haines, either in this position or just in general, in the past four years?

Honestly, no. No, I think if you just have the right mindset, you can make it work. We spent a little time, I have family, and I spent a little time down in Montana with family recently, and that was good to spend some time with them and get a refresh, and then come back here and stay long term.

Do you have a long-term plan of either moving or staying here? Do you know where you want to be in the future?

I just want to be in Alaska in the future, but as far as my long-term plan, I’m not, will not talk about that.

Going into the summer, as more people come into town, are you going to keep your eye out for anything in particular. Just keep doing general routines?

Exactly, yeah, I’m a patrolman with officer Russell, and that’s pretty much just what we do, is trying to keep everybody safe, keep everybody in line that needs to be in line. When you have a lot of new people coming into town, keeping drunk drivers off the street, keep people from doing things they shouldn’t be doing.

That’s actually very timely, because Brewfest is coming up.

It is coming up, that will be a big day, so I’ll be on patrol for that. I don’t remember the DUI count that they had last year. I think it was roughly four DUIs that they had for Brewfest. I’m sure we’ll be busy.

Is four a high number?

For a day, I would say yes, absolutely yeah for a Brewfest.

We’ve also recently noticed an uptick in traffic stops. What is it like bringing traffic enforcement back to the town that hasn’t had it in a while. The department has grown a lot from the two officers last year. What’s it like having an uptick in enforcement?

I can’t speak to that because I wasn’t the cop last year, but as far as making traffic stops, there’s probably an uptick because we have just more enforcement now, so now we’re just going to be, there’s more eyes on the street.

What’s it like being a public figure now that you have stepped into this role? Have you changed how you go around town or deal with the new title?

No, honestly, not that I thought about it. It is an honorable position, I don’t think I change my ways, as far as off duty, if that’s what you’re referring to.

And no one’s like, stopped you or anything?

Oh, that’s definitely happened a lot of times, you know. But as far as my day-to-day life, no, it’s just a different job that I get to give back to the community a little bit more, but I don’t change how I live my life outside of work.

What do you want people to know about you?

Honestly, as little as possible. I’ve made a lot of friends in this town, and I’ll continue to make new contacts with people that I meet, either on traffic stops or just on the street through the busy summer, and they can get to learn me then as I meet them face to face. I like this town. I’m a family guy, and I like who I work with. That’s about it.