$10 Million Won’t Fix Alaska’s Horrific Domestic Violence Problem
The influx of federal funds will do little more than highlight the state’s chronic political dysfunction
Alaska is finally getting the resources it desperately needs, which makes it all the more disappointing that the state is unlikely to put them to good use.
Attorney General William Barr announced late last month that the federal government will provide Alaska with more than $10 million to help police combat domestic violence. The funds will provide resources for isolated and rural regions where police forces are too often ill-equipped and under-trained. It’s long overdue for the Department of Justice to pay attention to Alaska, a state that suffers from high crime rates and political dysfunction. But unfortunately, it is unlikely that this money will actually do anything to fix the state’s sickeningly high domestic violence problems.
I worked as a legislative aide in the Alaska State House on and off between 2008–2015, and I served as the statewide communications director for one of the largest social service nonprofits in Alaska. I have a soft spot for the state — though I moved away two years ago, I will likely always identify as Alaskan. This is why I take no pleasure in saying that the DOJ’s generosity will…
