Alaska's forcible rape rates are 2.5 times the national average. Our children are abused at six times the national average. We are number one in the nation for spousal and partner murder. Alaska holds the distinction of suffering higher rates of interpersonal violence than any other state in the nation. Our children, women and men endure this epidemic of violence daily.
Too often the abused grow up to become victims or abusers and the ugly cycle of pain continues. Ignoring the violent realities our neighbors and children are faced with daily is not an option. We have the resources, both financially and intellectually, to protect victims of physical and sexual violence and yet few policymakers have dedicated the time and thoughtfulness to a realistic solution would require.
As a police officer, chief of police and the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, I witnessed the lasting damage interpersonal violence creates. I have seen little ones suffer unimaginable cruelty from those responsible for caring for them. I have investigated crime scenes, viewed pictures and learned details that continue to haunt me today. So have the men and women I worked beside. I've determined that this epidemic must be met with an equally strong charge against violence. We cannot expect change while allowing the resources and attention paid to these crimes to remain stagnant.
Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is an act of lunacy. Since Alaska has been keeping records on sexual violence, we have led this nation and still we have not taken any major initiative to counter it. Special teams dedicated to focusing only on domestic and sexual violence, from police investigators to defense attorneys, must be created. The police response to victims must be immediate and thorough. Every victim needs access to a dedicated advocate who will walk them through the painful journey of pressing charges and appearing in court. Attorneys, both prosecutorial and defense, must be allowed adequate time and resources to prepare for trial. Judges and court time must be readily available. When the criminal justice system is equipped with the resources necessary to respond to these crimes with the level of attention and detail they require, perpetrators will know there is a consequence for their actions and victims will know there is hope for the nightmare to end. Ensuring these two goals are met is the only way to create real change.
As the mayor of Anchorage, I would take the opportunity to advocate for a statewide network of dedicated sexual assault and domestic violence units. Every major change in history began in one place with just a few dedicated individuals who believed in something larger than themselves. Let Anchorage be that place. My hope is that our concentrated efforts at protecting victims would lead other cities and the state to adopt similar plans. This movement would not only place value on the lives of our state's most vulnerable residents, it would ultimately change our unfortunate history of leading the nation in interpersonal and sexual violence.
Whatever you allow, you encourage. Failing to act is a passive decision to let the abuse continue. Make no mistake: Our silence as individuals and communities is deafening and permits the cycle to perpetuate. I know with absolute certainty that our city has the resources and passionate, competent work force that real change requires. It is simply whether or not we choose to act. I hope you will join me in rising up and meeting the forces of violence with an even greater force. Then in one voice, we can finally declare "No more. This is when it ends."
Walt Monegan is a former Anchorage police chief and Alaska Public Safety commissioner. He is a candidate for the April mayoral election in Anchorage.