While Ankerfelt works to retool Sitka’s police culture, he acknowledges that the department has work to do. He called substance abuse Sitka’s biggest problem. “It’s the genesis of most crime,” he told the Chamber. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)
A little over a year after the department was rocked by charges of excessive use of force, Sitka’s new police chief is focusing on community engagement.
Jeff Ankerfelt spoke to Sitka’s Chamber of Commerce this week (Wednesday 12-21-16). He discussed his efforts to reinvent the culture of policing in Sitka.
In most all respects it was a presentation that any new department head would make: The status of facilities and resources, staffing challenges, and a 10-year plan for improvement.
For instance: The jail. The Police Department and jail are housed in a 40-year old building never designed for either.
“The jail is something that bothers me. It’s small. It’s dark. There are no windows. So you could be sentenced to a period of time to serve and you could go into this jail and you’re behind metal bars and you don’t see daylight for weeks.”
But Jeff Ankerfelt is not saying that he wants to make the jail pleasant. He wants to make it humane and dignified. Here’s why:
“Most of the people we put in our jails are not bad people. They made mistakes — the vast majority. They are our citizens and they’re going to come back out and join us in our community.”
And this happened over and over again in Ankerfelt’s presentation. He’d describe some set of circumstances within the department — whether it’s the break room or the sergeant’s office, or the shortage of detectives — and connect it to not just the need for new facilities or more personnel, but to a new philosophy of policing.
There’s probably a more technical term for it, but Ankerfelt calls it “customer service.” He admits it’s a challenging idea in law enforcement.
“I know from a fact that I didn’t get killed a few times because I treated people well. I also know I caused trouble by not treating people well in my youth as a police officer. Good customer service. Never take away anyone’s dignity — ever. That’ll get you killed and it’s just dumb and it’s being a bad person.”
Ankerfelt has been trying to instill this value into the Sitka Police Department since he was elevated to chief from lieutenant in October . He suggested that he wouldn’t retain officers who acted otherwise.
“If you’re a jerk and you’re mean to people, I’m going to fire you. I’m going to get rid of you. Being kind and empathetic is not unsafe.”
In November 2015 a video surfaced on social media showing two police officers and the Sitka jailer tasering an 18-year old student from Mt. Edgecumbe High School as they forcibly subdued him and removed his clothing. The City of Sitka settled with the student for $350,000 last February. An unrelated union grievance further eroded morale in the department, and contributed to turnover.
Ankerfelt didn’t mention these episodes directly, but this is the department he inherited. The desire for change percolated through his remarks.
He said he had recently heard laughter in the hallways for the first time since he came to Sitka 2-and-a-half years ago as a lieutenant. He celebrated the recent hire of two new officers — Josh Stevens, son of former deputy fire chief Al Stevens, and Jason Christner — both Sitkans. And Ankerfelt expressed a desire to diversify the police, and to rebuild the authorized force to 17 officers from its current figure of 14 — with the aid of a grant-funded cadet program.
Mostly though, he wants to rebrand the Police Department as a community asset, like the guys across the street.
“So if you go over to the Fire Department. It’s like America’s Heroes, right? The big deal. The flags. The beautiful fire trucks lined up and the tourists are out there taking pictures. There’s an understanding there that there’s community value to that. And what I’d like to have for our officers is this recognition that you’re a part of us.”
Ankerfelt said he hoped to remain chief for ten years, with plans for a new police station in place in about 7. But he’s thinking strategically, and he reminded the chamber that the mission of the department remains stopping crime.
“I’m not here to build a kingdom,” he said. “Every dollar spent on policing is a dollar that isn’t spent on something that might be more effective in the long term for public well-being.”
