Three locals apply for open police officer job
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TweetThree local applicants and a former Skagway policeman have applied for the police officer position left vacant by Brayton Long’s retirement.
Dayton Long, Brayton Long’s nephew, Michael Fullerton, who served for a short time as an Alaska State Trooper, and Travis Russell, an Alaska State Park ranger. The fourth applicant, Marc Morris, worked at the Skagway Police Department until last month. The department will begin interviewing candidates on June 20, and the position will remain open until it’s filled.
“I would say it’s a good batch of candidates,” police chief Heath Scott said. “Departments are hurting (for candidates) elsewhere in Southeast.”
Scott said he is looking for “a police officer that is a good fit for the community, a police officer who will want to stay in the community.”
Fullerton said that he is committed to the community. Fullerton said he wants to work and live in the same place as his family, and in the past, other jobs have forced him to live away from his wife and children. “We love living here. We’re committed here. It’s just a natural fit,” he said.
Fullerton worked as a state trooper in Fairbanks for less than a year, as a local wildlife trooper aide for two seasons, and served as Haines Public Safety Commission chair for a year. Before moving to Haines with his wife, borough clerk Alekka Fullerton, he was a small business owner in California, a financial advisor, and a stay-at-home dad.
“I’m very empathetic to people’s different life situations,” said Fullerton. “It’s not the police officer’s role to use a lot of heavy-handed intervention. It’s about helping somebody recognize that they stepped over the line.”
He said if hired, he would plan to help amplify what is good in the community and address what needs to be changed in a constructive way. Fullerton said he wants to do more “proactive policing,” which to him means making the community familiar with police officers. “Making them feel comfortable with us, as opposed to (interacting) just when you call for help,” he said.
Russell and Long declined to comment; Morris could not be reached for comment.
Scott has applied for a position with the University of Alaska Anchorage. Officer Chris Brown also has plans to leave this summer.
