Juneau to celebrate National Night Out with 24 different neighborhood events

National Night Out is tomorrow, August 7, and Juneau is ready to celebrate! At least 24 neighborhoods and groups have organized block parties, cookouts and other events all over Juneau, according to Juneau Police Department. National Night Out is a unique community-oriented celebration with the goal of spreading crime and drug awareness and prevention.
 
National Night Out gives citizens the opportunity to interact with their neighbors, as well as local first responders. Staff members from 10 different organizations, including Juneau Police Department, Capital City Fire Rescue, Alaska State Troopers, U.S. Coast Guard, and National Guard will be stopping by the National Night Out events to engage with Juneau residents, pass out giveaways, and – if you’re lucky – introduce McGruff the Crime Dog!
 
Everyone is invited to Parks & Rec’s National Night Out event at Cope Park, August 7 from 7 pm to 9 pm. Visit with first responders and talk with Park Ranger Dale, who will be on hand to share park information, snacks, and dog treats!
 
Wherever you’re celebrating National Night Out, first responders are looking forward to visiting with you at your event.
August 6th, 2018|

Celebrate National Night Out with JPD, first responders Aug. 7

The Juneau Police Department will be participating in the annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 7. National Night Out is a unique community-oriented celebration with the goal of spreading crime and drug awareness and prevention. National Night Out also gives citizens the opportunity to interact with their neighbors, as well as local first responders. It is hoped that the citizens of Juneau will coordinate block parties, cookouts, and neighborhood walks.

National Night Out was formed by the National Association of Town Watch Executive Director Matt A. Peskin. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for communities nationwide to promote police-community partnerships, crime prevention, and neighborhood camaraderie. While the one night is certainly not an answer to crime, drugs, and violence, National Night Out does represent the kind of spirit, energy, and determination that is helping to make many neighborhoods safer places throughout the year. NNO is a night to celebrate safety and crime prevention successes – and to expand and strengthen programs for the next 364 days,” he said.

JPD is coordinating police, Capital City Fire Rescue personnel, and other first responders to visit various block parties and cookouts throughout the community. Anyone interested in hosting such an event in their neighborhood is encouraged to register as a Block Captain. For additional information, contact JPD Community Services Officer Jennifer Adams at 586-0600.

You can fill out a form at the Juneau Police Department (6255 Alaway Avenue in Lemon Creek) or go to the JPD website and register online. CBJ first responders are looking forward to visiting with you at your event.

July 13th, 2018|

Southeast Alaska gets new federal money to fight drug trafficking

The federal government recently designated portions of Alaska as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Office of National Drug Control Policy announced earlier this month that areas surrounding Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks can now receive federal funding to fight drug trafficking. The money will pave the way for more regional coordination to combat the production, transport and use of illegal drugs.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker applied for the HIDTA designation in January as part of his Public Safety Action Plan to help address the state’s opioid epidemic. Alaska is the newest HIDTA since 2001. The program was created by Congress in 1988 and serves as a catalyst for coordination among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. Law enforcement organizations working within HIDTAs assess drug-trafficking problems and design specific initiatives to decrease the production, transportation and distribution of drugs.

So what does this mean locally? In Juneau and Southeast Alaska, the federal money will go to the Southeast Alaska Chiefs Against Drugs, an established regional task force that includes the Alaska State Troopers, Juneau Police Department and law enforcement agencies across Southeast. Task force members agree that drugs are a regional problem and should be addressed regionally. This new federal funding will make that easier.

Costs associated with the logistics of doing drug operations in Alaska and Southeast are expensive. Law enforcement agencies in Southeast already work together and collaborate on drug operations, but a lot more can be done; the HIDTA funding will allow for that further coordination. It won’t be up to an individual municipality to pay for assisting another community. The federal funding can be used for training and to pay for logistics of drug investigations, like travel and drug buy money. The funding cannot be used for additional staff. The Juneau Police Department has two dedicated narcotics investigators, who are overseen by Lieutenant Jeremy Weske. They’re all members of the Southeast Alaska Chiefs Against Drugs; Lt. Weske chairs the task force.

Prior to this new federal designation, Alaska was the only state that had no official HIDTA locations and was unable to access any of $250 million in federal anti-trafficking funding available to other states. Like the rest of the country, Juneau and Southeast have been dealing with an opioid epidemic. The new funding will allow the region more tools to combat it.

May 15th, 2018|

CBJ, Coast Guard and other agencies to conduct Maritime Security Exercise

Coast Guard Sector Juneau is sponsoring a full-scale security exercise called Shielded Eagle 2018 on April 4. During this time local residents might witness a joint Coast Guard and Juneau Police Department boarding of a tour boat in Auke Bay as part of the exercise. This exercise will focus on decision-making, coordination and multi-agency integration during a maritime security emergency. Exercise participants will have an opportunity to assess capabilities, security plans, policies and procedures.

The exercise will involve the simulation of suspicious activity and nuclear threat aboard a passenger vessel. Exercise participants will practice their response techniques, with a focus on interagency coordination during the exercise. The expected outcome of the exercise is to strengthen interagency partnerships and improve security readiness in Juneau.

The following agencies and organizations will participate in the exercise:

  • United States Coast Guard
  • City and Borough of Juneau
  • Capital City Fire/Rescue
  • Juneau Police Department
  • DHS – Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD)
  • Juneau Docks and Harbors
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  • Community Role Player volunteers aboard the tour boat

For more information on this exercise, please contact U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Britany Mckibben at [email protected] or call 463-2437.

(Photo by Gillfoto, Creative Commons license)

March 30th, 2018|

Guidelines for Fireworks Use

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly requests that citizens desiring to use fireworks do so in a manner that is considerate of others in public and residential areas. Some fireworks, which are low impact and don’t disturb the peace, should be allowable at any time. Other types of fireworks create loud, sometimes startling noise, which can have an unfavorable impact on those within hearing range.

Use of fireworks in the community offers some unique challenges. Juneau’s topography results in loud sounds reflecting off of mountains or water, and sound often travels farther than intended. In addition, the community’s urban parts are closely co-located with residential neighborhoods.

As a result, the Assembly has asked staff to publish guidelines that address the use of fireworks and the Disturbing the Peace Ordinance 42.20.095 – sometimes referred to as the Noise Ordinance. CBJ 42.20.095 provides:

(a) Policy. The purpose of this section is to protect the health, welfare and safety of the City and Borough’s residents by regulating the time, place, and manner of unreasonable noise. It is the intent of this section to secure the health, safety, comfort, convenience, and peaceful enjoyment of all public places, such as public streets and public parks, as well as the City and Borough’s residents’ homes, by prohibiting unreasonable noise.

(b) General.

  1. It is unlawful for any person to make or continue, or cause or permit to be made or continued, any unreasonable noise.
  2. As used in this section, “unreasonable noise” means noise that unreasonably annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, health, peace, or safety of a reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities in the vicinity…

Accordingly, the guidelines outlined in the chart will be used by the Juneau Police Department to enforce the Disturbing the Peace ordinance.

Download the guidelines here.

December 22nd, 2017|
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