A week after she had an assistant fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, Gov. Sarah Palin has offered an outline of the "new direction" she suggested Monegan couldn't give her.

In a written statement issued Saturday, Palin said she and her new commissioner, former Kenai police chief Chuck Kopp, will focus on filling vacant positions with the Alaska State Troopers, including a special emphasis on recruiting "returning National Guard troops and other military service members, VPSO's and Alaska Natives."

Palin also promised a review of alcohol and drug abuse, especially in rural Alaska. She will propose new laws to slow the flow of alcohol to dry or damp communities, the statement says.

Monegan, a former Anchorage police chief, was fired July 11, an action he said came without warning or explanation.

Since then, accusations have surfaced that he was discharged because he refused to fire a trooper who was once married to Palin's sister and remains embroiled in a nasty custody fight with her. Palin has denied this.