Two State health care boards and local health and public safety officials discussed the general conditions that have been facing Bethel's behavioral health institutions. The discussion was part of an ongoing three-day meeting for the two state health boards, which wrapped up on Thursday.
At a panel on criminal justice reform and behavioral health, community officials spoke with two state health boards - the Alaska Mental Health Board and the Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse - bringing them up to date on current conditions here in Bethel.
Representatives from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center, State Troopers, and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation discussed the ways criminal activity has changed in Bethel with the opioid epidemic, as well as about managing ongoing issues from alcoholism, which is still involved in many crimes in the region.
Overseeing fifty-six villages in the YK Delta, the Director of Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs) for the Association of Village Council Presidents, Alvin Jimmie Sr., said that VPSO staff have decreased by more than half in the past few years.
“I have currently 12, 12 VPSOs within this region,” said Jimmie Sr. “I could fairly say three, four years ago I had about 28 VPSOs. It’s a difference.”
Working closely with Alaska State Troopers, VPSOs have managed to hold it together, he said, while communities remain frustrated.
“When I’m out there, meeting with the governing bodies, either the city tribe, or the Ayrvik Traditional Council, or within the community,” said Jimmy Sr., “they get to share what’s going on and how much impact it is, and they’re asking for more public safety service to their community.”
Alaska State Trooper Jerry Evan says that over the past couple of years, with the rise in opioid abuse, Bethel has also seen a significant increase in thefts.
“I’ve heard of addicts robbing other addicts,” said Evan, “I’ve heard of users robbing dealers, stuff that you don’t hear in the public. I followed users around here in town. It turns out they would go from parking lot to parking lot, look inside vehicles. If they see something, I’ve seen one addict break a window, grab a purse, and just run off. It’s just doing crazy stuff to our people here in the community. I’m afraid of how it’s going to affect the smaller villages when it gets out there.”
Mayor of Bethel, and YKHC Director of Residential Services, Rick Robb said that most of the crime in Bethel remains alcohol related. Bethel Probation Office Supervisor Julene Webber said that she hasn’t seen any change in the number of alcohol convictions in Bethel either. Webber said that most physical assaults, sexual assaults, and sexual abuse of a minor crimes that she sees are alcohol related.
“What I have seen with SB-91 coming in are probationers that have serious alcohol issues are only spending a day to three days in jail,” said Webber.
Which, Webber said, doesn’t give them an opportunity to sober up. When they were spending more time in jail, she says they had the opportunity to stay sober longer. Now they’re re-arresting probationers sooner, sometimes only a day to three days later.
“So, the alcohol is extremely serious. Historically it’s been serious, and it still remains serious,” said Webber.
In the last week, Webber told them, they’ve made four to five arrests, including one just before she arrived that morning for the panel.
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