Politics

Dunleavy appoints Alaska law enforcement veteran Jim Cockrell to be public safety commissioner

Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Tuesday announced Jim Cockrell will head the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

The announcement came nearly two months after former commissioner Amanda Price resigned under pressure from Dunleavy.

Cockrell has worked in Alaska law enforcement for decades as a fish and wildlife officer, serving as director of the Alaska Wildlife Troopers and head of the Alaska State Troopers.

He’ll be coming out of retirement for the third time to take the job, said Gov. Mike Dunleavy at the announcement, held in Kenai.

“I will work tirelessly to get you the tools to do your jobs,” Cockrell said.

Michelle Theriault Boots

Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon.

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