Crime

An unusual court case concluded in Bethel last week, when Michael Redfox of Emmonak received a 17-year sentence for beating and strangling his girlfriend. One of the things that made it unusual was Redfox choosing to represent himself in court, but there was much more to this case.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr declared a law enforcement emergency in Alaska after vising rural communities that are facing some of the highest rates of violence without any kind of law enforcement. He is also pledging millions of dollars in emergency funds. On "Talk of Alaska," former state Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan and tribal rights attorney Lloyd Miller discussed Barr’s visit and its impact on the future of public safety in Alaska. 

U.S. Attorney General William Barr declared a law enforcement emergency in Alaska on June 28. The announcement follows a visit to the state where he saw firsthand how many rural communities have little to no public safety.  

In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, tribal and village police officers are often hired without training. Many communities lack officers, and turnover can be high. This month, about a dozen of the region’s officers attended a two-week rural law enforcement training course at Bethel’s Yuut Elitnaurviat. KYUK attended the ceremony.