“On a regular basis, our officers don’t consider immigration status when they’re going on their duties,” says Captain Justin Doll, new Chief of the Anchorage Police Department (APD), when Sol de Medianoche asks him about the challenges he will face in his new position.
Doll arrived in Alaska in 1985. He studied high school in Anchorage, then graduated in Economics from UAA, earned a master’s degree in Public Administration at UAS, and conducted trainings at National Academy of FBI. He learned about APD in his early youth, when some of his friends worked in the agency. Later, while working at the airport, Doll discovered that APD was recruiting. He filed his application and was selected. “The Academy, I enjoyed it; but once I got on the street and actually was a Patrol Officer, I really loved the job.” In addition to being a Patrol Officer, Doll has served as Traffic Unit Supervisor, SWAT Team Member, Bomb Technician, and Commander of the Homicide and Robbery / Assault Detective Units. Doll remembers with affection the summers where he patrolled the city on a motorcycle and attended community events in elementary schools, where he discovered that the work of APD is much more than law enforcement; one has to be close to the people. “We’ve been in a position for quite a few years as an agency where it’s really difficult just to meet the basic emergency needs of the city, as far as a call for services and things like that,” he says, and adds that APD should start “changing minds here, so officers understand that it’s okay to spend a little bit more time trying to solve problems for the residents.” Doll explains that for the time being the APD culture is to “go as fast as possible,” and that he will work to reduce the importance of speed so that officers stop to investigate the security concerns of each neighborhood. From Doll’s perspective, these contacts with residents serve to build trust. The cultural and ethnic diversity of Anchorage is something APD acknowledges and takes seriously. “It is important to listen. People come from different backgrounds, and have different concerns. Anchorage itself is very different because it is so spread out. The issues that you have living in Muldoon are not the same as those of those living Downtown. Even the weather is different all over town. Just being aware that there are a lot of differences and listening to what people’s concerns are is the best way to address that.” Being responsible for the safety of such a diverse community, APD officers are accustomed to dealing with people of different backgrounds and do not profile people to stop them, says Doll. “I’ve been here for over twenty years and I’ve never seen it here,” he adds, concluding that this practice is “so foreign to the way the agency works, that officials do not even think about it.” Doll makes clear that they “want every resident to feel safe reporting crimes to the Police Department,” because in the day-to-day work of APD the immigration status of the residents “is just not an issue.” |
SPONSORED CONTENT Hello again, We are going to continue to learn about buying and selling a home. The first step and the most important is financing. At this stage you will need to pick the type of financing; there are various types of loans and each one requires a different down-payment. There are down-payments of 0-25% depending on your credit score or type of loan such as first-time home buyer or investment property. The financing most commonly known for home buyers is the FHA, which is a loan given one time as a new home buyer; you cannot have multiple FHAs at the same time. It is also important to note that you must occupy the residence. For this reason, the home must be in good condition. With a CONVENTIONAL loan the requirements become more flexible: It is not required to live in the property; the property can be an investment; and the down-payment is anywhere from 1-25%. With this type of loan you can purchase a home that may need investments or replacements for typically a better price. There is a special loan type for those famous “fixer uppers” that may require extensive amount of work, this would be a REHAB LOAN. There are various forms of using this loan, doing the work yourself or hiring a professional to do the work. If you have served in the US Military there is an option for a veteran loan or a VA loan for which no down-payment is required. The purpose of this loan is to help those who have served our country attain a good home. If down-payments are a problem, there is also assistance available. The financial professional helping you with a loan can point you in the right direction for which benefits you may qualify for. Until next time! Please do not hesitate to call or text me with any questions that you may have about buying or selling your home. 
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