The Fairbanks Police Department came under criticism at last night’s city council meeting.
During citizen’s comments, Fairbanks resident and Alaska Native Daisy Stevens questioned the department’s handling of recent and past homicide investigations.
“There’s been several murders in this town, all involving Natives, and not one of them has been solved. What’s up with that?” Stevens said. “It didn’t take them long to arrest the Fairbanks Four when it came to John Hartman, who was a white kid. Now tell me the difference of what’s going on here.”
Local law enforcement is under heightened scrutiny in light of the ongoing Fairbanks 4 hearing during which evidence surrounding the 1997 murder of John Hartman is being reviewed as a judge considers the possible innocence by four Native men convicted of the crime.
At last night’s council meeting another Alaska Native Fairbanks resident Darlene Herbert referred to the long contested case in calling for an internal investigation of the police department.
“You need to come up with that money and do that,” Herbert said. “And there are some names mentioned and they are still on the force working. And that is very scary when you think about it.”
Mayor John Eberhart responded to concerns, saying that the city is regularly meeting with leaders of local Alaska Native organizations, including the Tanana Chiefs Conference, Doyon and Fairbanks Native Association, but is holding off on a formal investigation pending completion of the Fairbanks Four hearing
“We were advised by someone with the state that there’s information we wouldn’t know that may come out in this proceeding, so it would be premature, we felt, to conduct such a review,” he said.
Mayor Eberhart also offered some defense of local Police.
“There are many fine people who work next door at the police department and dispatch. Most of them weren’t here in 1997. There are few people who were, here still.,” Eberhart said. “And I have made it very clear to Chief Aragon, that if it becomes know through this case or otherwise that someone who’s still with us did something illegal or unethical, inappropriate, there’s gonna be appropriate disciplinary action – up to, and including, termination.”
Eberhart says Police Chief Randall Aragon was hired one year ago to provide a new perspective on the department. A downtown rally in support of the Fairbanks Four drew hundreds last night. Their post-conviction relief petition hearing is expected to run at least through the end of the month.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
