A man who sued the Haines Borough over his son’s drowning at Port Chilkoot Dock beach said this week he brought the suit because of concerns about the police investigation of the death and indifference from borough officials. “That would have saved his life if they had just put a sign up. To this day, there isn’t […]
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Former cop’s license under review
The Alaska Police Standards Council has started the process of revoking the certification of former Haines Police officer John Havard. Havard is the fourth Haines Police officer in less than two years to either be investigated by the Alaska Police Standards Council or convicted of a criminal charge. Officers Jason Joel and Kevin Kennedy lost their certifications. Kennedy and […]
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Police retrieve bow in dog-shooting case
The Haines Police Department served two search warrants last week and recovered items believed to have been used in the Jan. 15 killing of a dog and wounding of another. Police seized a bow and other materials during two searches of a residence, police chief Gary Lowe said. Police served the first warrant early last week and the second […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Police chief lagged on wire fraud case
In 2012, others and myself witnessed felony wire fraud in Haines. On July 12, 2012, evidence of felony wire fraud (over 100 pages) was submitted to the Haines Police Department. On Aug. 9, 2012, I called HPD and was informed the evidence had not been sent to the district attorney in Juneau. On Sept. 26, 2012, I […]
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Former Haines cop surrenders license
Neither a statewide police oversight agency nor the Haines Borough Police Department will provide information about complaints that led to the decertification of former Haines Police Sgt. Jason Joel last week. The Alaska Police Standards Council formally accepted forfeiture of Joel’s police certificate Dec. 4, an action that disqualifies Joel from working as a police or corrections officer in […]
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DUIs reduced after illegal blood tests: No breathalyzer for 5 months
The Haines Police Department’s illegal acquisition of blood samples in several DUI cases led to reduced charges for defendants in recent months. From May until mid-September, police were without a working DataMaster, a machine that tests alcohol content in a person’s breath. In lieu of breath testing, officers began using blood testing to assess alcohol levels during […]
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Mayor digs into harbor assault case
A mayor’s report found differing explanations for why a charge was reduced by plea bargain in a case involving an alleged assault on the Haines harbormaster. According to a report presented by Haines Borough Mayor Stephanie Scott at Tuesday’s assembly meeting, Assistant District Attorney Amy Williams said she would have preferred to take the case to trial, but could […]
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After 5 months, trooper still awaits co-worker
Five months of doing a job intended for two is taking a toll, Alaska State Trooper Ken VanSpronsen said this week. VanSpronsen arrived in June to serve as wildlife trooper covering the area north of Berners Bay. But delays in filling the other half of the trooper post here – the state trooper job – […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Tape would tell truth about encounter
After reading “Police Tactics Criticized,” I feel compelled to set the record straight. First, it is not “legal police procedure” to walk up without stating your cause and ask people to empty their pockets. Probable cause and a search warrant are the legal procedure. The mention that Ford “received several reports about (Lari)” would mean that considering […]
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Tow truck bill rankles visitors
A visitor from Whitehorse, Y.T. who paid $780 to reclaim his trailer after a dispute with tow truck operator Paul Nelson is seeking redress through the Haines Borough. Alexander Gubergrits said he was deceived by Nelson and that he never would have agreed to a $450 bill Nelson presented him after pulling Gubergrits’ trailer from a […]