Haines police chief says he’s no longer seeking work elsewhere.
Haines Police Chief Heath Scott. (Image courtesy of Andrew Hedden)
Police Chief Heath Scott had been in the running to lead Unalaska’s public safety department. But said Friday he’s withdrawn his application.
Scott declined to talk on tape. But he told KHNS he’d applied for the Aleutian Islands job because of uncertainty in the Haines borough. His boss, the borough manager, was recently fired by the assembly and the mayor, the budget was a question mark at the time, and the issue of policing outside of the townsite is still unresolved.
But Scott says when he was named as one of two finalists he had a change of heart. He says he loves the Haines community and his family is happy living here.
It’s not the first time Scott has sought work outside of Haines and then turned it down. He declined an offer to be police chief in Wrangell last year after the Haines borough offered him a salary exceeding $100,000 a year. He remains the highest paid borough employee.
Scott has served the Haines community since 2016. Turnover in the department has decreased since Scott took over.
He said the budget is still a concern—the borough assembly made last minute cuts to the department’s finances for the next fiscal year. That’s despite Scott’s requests for more funding and permission to hire new police officers.
