Shameful epidemic

For starters, he wants to change the social attitudes that feed this epidemic. As a society, we need to say, no, it's not OK to lose control and abuse a spouse or child. No, domestic violence is not merely a private matter for families to deal with.

Just as MADD made drunk driving socially unacceptable, our society needs to make clear we won't tolerate abuse of women and children. The "Choose Respect" ad campaign is a promising way to start changing these backward attitudes.

Gov. Parnell also wants to make sure those who are at risk can get shelter and legal protection when they need it. One innovative idea in his plan is to recruit lawyers who will offer free advice on how to get and enforce restraining orders, deal with the criminal justice system and find other help in the community. More village public safety officers in the Bush will help, too. As Gov. Parnell realizes, villages without any on-site law enforcement are places where rape and domestic violence can flourish. With more VPSOs, victims are more likely to report crimes and offenders are more likely to be convicted.

The most expensive item on the governor's list is the new state crime lab, which is already designed and ready to go. The current tiny, outdated lab limits the state's ability to process evidence, especially DNA evidence that can help solve sex crimes. Whether paid for in cash or with bonds, the new lab is a sound investment in a safer Alaska.

Lower profile parts of the governor's plan will help as well. He wants to fix legal technicalities that allow some out-of-state sex offenders to avoid registering when they move here. He will make sure there are no plea bargains that let sex offenders avoid registering. He wants to hire one person whose job it is to ask, every day, what state government should be doing to help stop rape and domestic violence.

One area that probably needs more attention in the governor's plan is the role alcohol plays in rape and domestic violence, among both victims and perpetrators. In many cases, the most basic way victims can protect themselves is by not getting drunk. Offenders are often drunk as well, and the alcohol releases their inhibitions, so stronger efforts to end alcohol abuse will pay dividends in crime prevention.

Gov. Parnell's plan won't be cheap, but to his credit, the fiscally conservative governor is willing to put the necessary money behind it. No amount of government programs can turn Alaska into a peaceful paradise where these shameful crimes magically vanish. But we simply should not tolerate the fact that Alaska leads the nation in rape and domestic violence. If Gov. Parnell's initiative can bring Alaska's rates for these crimes down to the national average, that would be real progress.

BOTTOM LINE: Gov. Parnell has a good plan to fight this scourge in Alaska.