By Dan Carpenter Channel 2 News KTUU

9:32 p.m. AKST, March 5, 2013
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—

St. Paul Island has a new chief of police and he's rebuilding the department from scratch after the entire police force quit last December.

The island of 500 people lost its three-person police department three months ago for reasons that were not disclosed.

The law enforcement department shut down, leaving the Alaska State Troopers to respond to emergencies.

A new police chief was hired out of New Orleans and has been on the job for three weeks.

St. Paul Police Chief Stephen Lindsey says he's had to rebuild the department from scratch while adapting to a new climate and culture.

“I'm enjoying it, it's a challenge but there's good people here and a lot of them are willing to help me out and they want good law enforcement in the community,” said St. Paul Police Chief Stephen Lindsey. “They realize the value of it.”

Dispatch positions have been filled but one more officer is needed to bring the department up to full staffing.

Lindsey says he would like to hire someone local for that position. He also says the people of St. Paul have been very helpful during the transition and recognize the value of good law enforcement in the community. 

“I've gotten along with them really well although I know a number of people did not get along with the past [police] chief,” said Lindsey. “I don't know what those issues are, but I'm enjoying it very much.”

St. Paul is the largest of the four islands in the Pribilofs and about 300 miles west of the Alaska mainland.

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