Alaska's Progress in Fighting Child Abuse

0:00From Anchorage, this is your March 5th update. Alaska still battles some of the highest rates of sexual assault and child sexual abuse in the country, with over half the victims being kids. But state leaders say they've made real progress lately, thanks to more funding and focused efforts from the Department of Public Safety. In the past year, they've hired extra investigators just for child abuse cases with the state troopers. They've also boosted rural areas, hardest hit per person by adding 10 major crime investigators and more than doubling village public safety. Officers since 2020. These steps aim to help survivors too. A new victim assistance division launched last year, with navigators aiding over 1,000 cases and reaching nearly 5,000 victims. They've sped up financial aid claims by 43%. Cutting wait times from 90 days to about a week. Law enforcement got over 2,200 hours of specialized training in five years. In sexual assault kit processing dropped to an average. Of 145 days.

1:02The state council handed out more than $22,500,000 in grants for local programs. In 2025, courts handed down two of the longest sentences ever for these crimes, including 263 years for one offender. Officials say there's more work ahead, but they're committed to protecting communities and seeking justice. Support for this episode comes from our sponsor, see the description, lay back, press play, let the pillow do the rest, sound meets comfort, S-O-L-I-S-O-L-P-L-O dot com.