NPD accreditation discussed

The Public Safety Advisory Commission met for the regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 7 with a light agenda before them. The commission swore in Jennifer Dean-Johnson as a new member and then proceeded to discuss progress on the Nome Police Department accreditation. NPD Chief Mike Heintzelman and Deputy Chief Robert Pruckner were present and made the argument that the accreditation process would set the NPD on a path that would prevent mistakes made in the past and build a framework around the organization that would not depend on a particular person in leadership. Chief Heintzelman reported that when he came to Nome, the department was staffed with very young and inexperienced officers, morale was low and the necessary tools for a properly functioning police department were not in place. Now, he said, the level of experienced officers is high, morale has much improved and the city has allowed him to offer a $10,000 hiring bonus to qualified officers. The most recent hire, he said, is a high-caliber former detective from the Portland police department who is working as an investigator for NPD.

City Manager Glenn Steckman encouraged the PSAC to hold their next meeting at the Public Safety Building. “We hope to show you what we’ve got there,” he said. The interim commission chair Carol PIscoya accepted and the next meeting is set for March 7 at the Public Safety Building.

In other business, Steckman informed the PSAC about the current discussions at Common Council level dealing with package store liquor licenses. Since alcohol abuse drives many crimes and calls for service to NPD, the Common Council will consider an ordinance in first reading on Monday, Feb. 14 that will spell out certain conditions on liquor stores. Restrictions on package stores would include lessening the hours that liquor can be sold, limiting the sales of hard liquor to bottles less than 750 ml for one person per day and mandating security personnel to manage security on the store’s property.

A vote on the officers of the commission was postponed to the next meeting. One seat of the nine-seat commission is still vacant.

Photo courtesy City of Nome OATH OF OFFICE— City of Nome Deputy City Clerk Jeremy Jacobson administers the oath of office to new Public Safety Advisory Commission member Jennifer Dean-Johnson, on Monday, February 7.