By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Interim Sitka Police Chief Robert Baty has been selected for the permanent position as chief, City Administrator Keith Brady said today.
Baty, a former Alaska State Trooper, “has excellent references, and extensive experience in policing,” Brady said.
Baty has been on duty at the police department since early April, when he was introduced to the Assembly as the interim chief.
Brady said the Assembly still has to approve the hiring, as well as the salary and other terms. The job was advertised at a salary of at least $93,620.80, depending on qualifications and experience.
The advertisement for the job said the city was looking for “a dynamic leader, an experienced manager and a practitioner of community policing principles.”
Sitka interim Police Chief Robert Baty, left, is introduced by Sitka Fire Chief Dave Miller at an April joint Assembly and School Board meeting at Centennial Hall. Baty has been offered the police chief position. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
Baty started work as interim chief on April 1 and was offered the permanent position on May 24. He is currently on vacation in India, and his first day in the permanent position will be July 1, city staff said.
Jeff Ankerfelt resigned as police chief earlier this year after five years with the Sitka department, including three as chief. He has been on leave in recent months and his last day was officially June 2, Brady said.
Ankerfelt was unavailable for comment.
Baty started his career as a patrol trooper in Anchorage, and since his retirement after 20 years has worked as police chief in Yakutat (2012 through 2016), Bethel (2016-17) and Whittier (2018-2019), Brady said.
The city administrator said in looking for a replacement for Ankerfelt he was eager to find someone with not only a law enforcement background but training and leadership experience.
“I was impressed with Robert and his training, his ability to be a trainer,” Brady said. “One thing that set him up over the top was being here.”
For the past two months, Brady said, he’s had the chance to watch Baty in action, and get feedback from those working in the department.
“I’ve been happy with him in his interim role,” Brady said. “He’s able to command respect but also give it. He very much adheres to chain of command, and in my discussion with jailers, officers and dispatchers, they’re happy with what they’re seeing with Robert. He sticks to the rules and he’s fair.”
Brady said he’s seen improvements in the department in some key areas in Baty’s short time, including training sergeants, boosting morale and rearranging the layout of the department facilities. (Brady noted the evidence handling area has been moved out of the lunch room, where it’s been located for years.)
“It’s been very good already,” Brady said.
Baty was introduced under Persons to Be Heard at the April 4 Assembly meeting, a few days after he started. Fire Chief Dave Miller told the Assembly he has enjoyed working with Baty over the years.
Baty told the Assembly he was happy to be back in Sitka, where he spent his teen years.
“It’s always been a dream in the back of my mind that after I retired I would come back and be chief here,” Baty told the Assembly. “I’ve hit the ground running, looking at a lot of issues that concern you as well. Just everything from the budget to how to improve everything within the department, and get better services to the community. I look forward to working with all of you, and look forward to visiting with everybody in the community, I’ve especially enjoyed reacquainting myself with old friends, and family friends. My goal and hope is that I do get the long-term position here.”
A few Assembly members gave favorable reviews to Baty and his work so far.
“I’m excited to see a strong leader in that position,” commented Steven Eisenbeisz today. “Strong leadership will rebuild our department and increase morale.”
Eisenbeisz said he’s been impressed with Baty’s focus on the professional development of junior police officers.
“I most likely will be voting in support of keeping him on as police chief,” he said.
Richard Wein said he’s found Baty to be “responsive and approachable.” Like Brady, Wein has been impressed with some of the changes he’s seen so far in the department, namely the moving of the evidence handling space out of the lunch room, personnel changes including the hire of a new lieutenant, and overtime oversight. Wein noted that Baty was able to save the city thousands of dollars by getting troopers to perform security duties for a recent Prince of Wales murder trial.
