A publication of the Justice Center	Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center

Officer Turnover in the Village Public Safety Officer Program
By Darryl S. Wood

Turnover among law enforcement officers serving in Alaska Native villages has been a problem since long before statehood. Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs) typically remain employed for only slightly less than two years. This article considers finding of a study examining this problem. The study's main finding is that officers without strong connections of marriage, family, or culture in the communities they serve are most likely to terminate their employment as VPSOs.

Review Essay: A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion
By Sharon Araji

Grounded in Darwinian theory, A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion by Randy Thornhill and Craig T. Palmer argues that rape is a sexually motivated behavior, not an act of power and control. In this review, a University of Alaska Anchorage sociologist argues that the books' authors fail to provide convincing data to support their biological explanation for rape.

Rape Figures

Rates of rape and attempted rape have dropped in the U.S. since 1973 and have remained level since 1996. This article provides 1973-1999 figures on rape in the U.S. from the National Crime Victimization Survey.