That’s the question that awaiting lawmakers when the reconvene in Juneau next January. The current session saw the introduction of bill HB199, which would allow VPSOs to carry firearms. Currently, they are permitted to carry pepper spray, a baton, and taser. They are not permitted to use firearms, personal or otherwise, on duty, except under very limited circumstances that usually require pre-approval. (For example, they are allowed to use shotguns for wildlife emergencies.)
The issue has been spurred in part by violence against VPSOs in recent months, including the death of 54-year-old Thomas Madole in March, who served as an officer in the southwest community of Manokotak.
“What we're seeing is escalating levels of violence,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Joe Masters said Thursday. “Not only in terms of the number of assaults on VPSOs, but also the number of assaults on VPSOs, some of them seemingly becoming more and more lethal.”
Masters said he thinks VPSOs should be allowed to carry firearms on the job, provided they have the right training and logistics like insurance and liability can be figured out. But he said ultimately it’s a decision that the Native corporations, who hire the officers, along with the communities where the VPSOs live and work, that will have to decide. And he said that’s what is at stake with HB 199.
“Fundamentally we need to look at the program to ensure it's meeting the needs of the community,” Masters said. “VPSOs are able to keep the communities safe, but we have to balance that with the VPSO’s ability to remain safe themselves.”
“The communities, we do have to take a look at what they want,” he said.
Source- ktva