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53-403: The DPS Academy is typically commanded by a state trooper lieutenant , with a state trooper sergeant serving as the deputy commander. There are generally four to six state trooper corporals who serve as staff instructors. There are four civilian, non-commissioned, employees who perform administrative, logistical, and maintenance duties. The initial phase of a trooper recruit's academy training

106-464: A density of 111.04 inhabitants/sq mi (42.872/km ), compared to 93.844/sq mi (36.233/km ) for the nation as a whole. While conterminous U.S. has the precise meaning of contiguous U.S. (both adjectives meaning "sharing a common boundary"), other terms commonly used to describe the 48 contiguous states have a greater degree of ambiguity. Because Alaska is also a part of North America , the term continental United States also includes that state, so

159-687: A historic role in national security. AST and ABI in particular, assist the DEA , US Department of Homeland Security , FBI and the BATFE and other federal and military agencies in protecting the US from terrorist activity. ABI assisted the FBI in 2009 in a high-profile preemptive terrorism investigation that resulted in the arrest of a man and woman who were radical Islamist converts and who were planning terrorist attacks from King Salmon, AK. Trooper aircraft historically kept

212-539: A peace officer, such as Kevlar bullet resistant body armor, TASER electronic control weapon, pepper spray, and baton. The VPSO 9-week basic training course at the DPS Academy mirrors several aspects of the ALET program except that VPSOs do not receive basic emergency vehicle operation course (EVOC). If a VPSO should later opt to join a police department after completion of VPSO training, they would not be required to attend

265-441: A state, it was properly included within the continental U.S. due to being an incorporated territory . The term mainland United States is sometimes used synonymously with continental United States , but technically refers only to those parts of states connected to the landmass of North America, thereby excluding not only Hawaii and overseas insular areas , but also islands which are part of continental states but separated from

318-859: A two cycles, one in the spring, and one in the fall. Each class is given an "ALET" designation, meaning Alaska Law Enforcement Training. The Academy is 16 weeks long, and has a two week extension for troopers who are being hired into the Division of Alaska State Troopers or Wildlife Troopers. These two weeks focus on survival training and preparation for many of Alaska's environmental hazards. Classes include lessons on firearms, non-lethal weaponry, emergency vehicle operation courses (EVOC), and general classroom lessons on things such as laws, court cases, and officer safety. Officers must also go through physical training and be physically competent. The Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC) and Alaska Department of Public Safety (ADPS) have certain requirements for peace officers in

371-685: A watchful eye for intrusions into US airspace by Soviet aircraft during the Cold War. As a state entity, AST pilots and aviation assets continue to watch over Alaskan airspace to date in conjunction with the Alaska Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), in providing protection from threats to national security as it assists the US Coast Guard, US Air Force and US Army air operations as requested. The Bureau of Highway Patrol (ABHP)

424-481: Is a small division of troopers based out of Seward who focus on the stretch of the Seward Highway near Girdwood. Their primary responsibility is enforcement of the state's impaired driving laws, and traffic enforcement. They also provide assistance in the investigation of fatal and major incapacitating accidents. Troopers in this unit may also respond to standard calls. The Alaska Bureau of Investigations (ABI)

477-469: Is actual land, composing 83.65 percent of the country's total land area, and is comparable in size to the area of Australia. Officially, 160,820.25 square miles (416,522.5 km ) of the contiguous United States is water area, composing 62.66 percent of the nation's total water area. The contiguous United States, if it were a country, would be fifth on the list of countries and dependencies by area , behind Russia , Canada , China , and Brazil . However,

530-801: Is also on North America, but separated from the 48 states by British Columbia in Canada, but excludes Hawaii and all the insular areas in the Caribbean and the Pacific . The greatest distance (on a great-circle route) entirely within the contiguous U.S. is 2,802 miles (4,509 km), coast-to-coast between Florida and the State of Washington ; the greatest north–south line is 1,650 miles (2,660 km). The contiguous United States occupies an area of 3,119,884.69 square miles (8,080,464.3 km ). Of this area, 2,959,064.44 square miles (7,663,941.7 km )

583-671: Is an added, voluntary assignment for specially-qualified Troopers in addition to their other duties. SWAT Troopers train regularly and remain on call after hours for emergencies. AST SWAT Posts: The Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) works by providing funding, resources and direct assistance to a number of agencies operating within the state of Alaska. SDEU also investigates criminal cases involving drugs or alcohol. SDEU operates by "aggressively confront[ing] drug and alcohol traffickers." SDEU's Mission Statement: The Alaska State Troopers are required by section 18.60.120 of Alaska law to provide and coordinate search and rescue efforts across

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636-478: Is headed by a Commissioner appointed by the Governor . This person is a civilian administrator, though historically he was a career law enforcement officer and administrator. The Commissioner, if a sworn officer upon being appointed as such, may be appointed a "Special Alaska State Trooper" to maintain police powers. The Alaska State Troopers (AST) and Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT) are headed by ranking officers with

689-504: Is known as the Alaska Law Enforcement Training program, or ALET. The ALET program is a residential, para-military style training program lasting approximately 16 weeks. The students attending an ALET class are a mixture of state trooper recruits, municipal and airport police officers, state park rangers, village public safety officers, state fire marshals, and self paying recruits. All of these students receive

742-919: Is responsible for coordinating and conducting major criminal investigations within Alaska State Troopers jurisdiction to include homicides, sexual assaults, polygraph examinations, fraud, forgery, computer and internet crimes, surveillance, missing persons and lengthier property crimes investigations. ABI headquarters is located in Anchorage with posts in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Soldotna, Wasilla. The ABI consists of seven Investigation Units are; Major Crimes, Technical Crimes, Property Crimes, Financial Crimes, Child Abuse Investigations, Cold Case Investigations, and Statewide Drug Enforcement. The Alaska State Trooper Special Weapons and Tactics (AST SWAT) responds to high-risk incidents including hostage situations, warrant executions, and terrorist incidents. SWAT

795-727: Is the only state law enforcement academy in the nation to provide this type of training for its recruits. Upon graduation from the Trooper Basic Course the trooper recruits are transferred to an urban patrol unit where they will begin a 15-week-long field training program. At the conclusion of the field training program the trooper recruit is qualified to work alone, but remains on a probationary status until he or she completes one year of service. 57°03′11″N 135°19′08″W  /  57.053°N 135.319°W  / 57.053; -135.319 Alaska State Troopers#Rank structure The Alaska State Troopers , officially

848-690: The Division of Alaska State Troopers ( AST ), is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Alaska . It is a division of the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS). The AST is a full-service law enforcement agency that handles both traffic and criminal law enforcement. The AST is also involved in apprehending fugitives as part of the Alaska Fugitive Task Force, an inter-agency collaborative of Alaska police departments that cooperates with police agencies throughout

901-582: The Northwest Angle in Minnesota are three such places. Alburgh, Vermont , is not directly connected by land, but is accessible by road via bridges from within Vermont and from New York. By contrast, Hyder, Alaska , is physically part of contiguous Alaska and its easternmost town, but the only practical access is by road through Canada or by seaplane. The 48 contiguous states are: In addition,

954-628: The South Pacific Ocean in Polynesia , south of the equator — it is 2,200 miles (3,500 km) southwest of Hawaii . In American Samoa, the contiguous United States is called the "mainland United States" or "the states"; those not from American Samoa are called palagi (outsiders). Apart from off-shore U.S. islands , a few continental portions of the contiguous United States are accessible by road only by traveling through Canada. Point Roberts, Washington ; Elm Point, Minnesota ; and

1007-737: The 49th state of the United States on January 3, 1959. Alaska is the northwest extremity of the North American continent, separated from the U.S. West Coast by the Canadian province of British Columbia . The term Lower 48 has, for many years, been a common Alaskan equivalent for "contiguous United States"; today, many Alaskans use the term "Outside" for those states, though some may use "Outside" to refer to any location not within Alaska. The territory of Hawaii , consisting of

1060-645: The District of Columbia who were born in, or can trace their family ancestry to, Puerto Rico. The U.S. Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory located directly to the east of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. The term "stateside" is used to refer to the mainland, in relation to the U.S. Virgin Islands (see Stateside Virgin Islands Americans ). American Samoa is a U.S. territory located in

1113-464: The Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement, engage in search and rescue of missing persons and perform services usually performed by county sheriff 's departments in other states, such as prisoner transport. VPSOs usually also receive Alaska Firefighter-I training and either Alaska Emergency Medical Technician-I (EMT-I) or Alaska Emergency Trauma Technician (ETT) in addition to the basic training. The Village Public Safety Officer Program began in

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1166-642: The Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers. The museum commemorates the Alaska State Troopers and features a variety of historical memorabilia, including a restored 1952 Hudson Hornet patrol car. Contiguous United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States ) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America . The term excludes

1219-706: The Interior by the American military organizations of the time—the future states of Alaska and Hawaii , then each only organized incorporated territories of the Union, were respectively covered by the Eleventh Air Force and Seventh Air Force during the war. Residents of Alaska, Hawaii and off-shore U.S. territories have unique labels for the contiguous United States because of their own locations relative to them. The vast territory of Alaska became

1272-749: The MATCOM dispatch center in the Mat-Su Valley Borough or the Regional Training Facility ran by the Anchorage Police Department . A Detachment North: A Detachment South: B Detachment: C Detachment: D Detachment: Dispatch Centers: Training Facilities: The Alaska Department of Public Safety Training Academy, located in Sitka, is run by the Alaska State Troopers. It is tasked with training

1325-470: The SAR section is to allocate funding and grants to the various non-profits and regional SAR organizations across the state. The Alaska State Troopers are organized by detachments, each having posts in various cities, towns and villages. The Alaska State Troopers also have various other types of facilities throughout the state, such as the training academy in Sitka. AST also partners with various facilities such as

1378-622: The United States and less commonly with Interpol in apprehending wanted men and women. Unlike many lower 48 states, the AST also serves as Alaska’s primary environmental law enforcement agency; troopers assigned to the AST’s Division of Alaska Wildlife Troopers are known as "Alaska Wildlife Troopers" and primarily serve as game wardens , although they retain the same powers as other Alaskan state troopers. Because Alaska has no counties , therefore no county police or sheriffs , in its constitution,

1431-466: The academic and practical performance of its students. The ALET graduation ceremonies mark the end of academy training for all municipal officers, fire marshals, and park rangers. While these students get to go home, state trooper recruits stay at the academy for two more weeks of training. This period of instruction, known as the Trooper Basic Course, involves classes that are tailored to the specific expectations and duties of Alaska State Troopers. Among

1484-830: The agency was changed to Territorial Police and additional personnel were hired from among the marshals' ranks. The new agency became the Alaska Territorial Police in 1953, the Alaska State Police in 1959 after Alaska became a State, and changed its title to Alaska State Troopers in 1967. The Division of Alaska State Troopers personnel are the general police arm of the agency. They are charged with statewide law enforcement, prevention of crimes, pursuit and apprehension of offenders, service of civil and criminal process, prisoner transportation, central communications, and search and rescue. They perform traditional duties most closely associated with state police in

1537-401: The classes taught are: Because the duties of Alaska State Troopers often require them to travel to remote wilderness areas in small planes, boats, or on snowmachines, each trooper recruit receives instruction in wilderness survival and cold water survival techniques. This instruction includes a three-day/two-night survival field exercise conducted on an island near Sitka. The Alaska DPS Academy

1590-404: The continental United States, and as the 48 contiguous states. The District of Columbia is not always specifically mentioned as being part of CONUS . OCONUS is derived from CONUS with O for outside added, thus referring to Outside of Continental United States. The term lower 48 is also used to refer to the conterminous United States. The National Geographic style guide recommends

1643-704: The early 20th century. Deputy marshals continued to be the main force of law in rural Alaska until the advent of the troopers, and many early-era officers of the agency were former deputy marshals. There was no Alaska-wide police force until 1941, when the territorial legislature created the Alaska Highway Patrol. Territorial patrolmen only patrolled the main highways of Alaska and did not visit remote areas or regions. They were commissioned to only enforce traffic laws. They were eventually deputized as special deputy marshals to fill this void in jurisdiction. The legislature refused to make them police officers until

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1696-503: The entire Hawaiian Islands archipelago except for Midway Atoll , became the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959. It is the southernmost U.S. state, and the latest one to join the Union. Not part of any continent, Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean , about 2,200 miles (3,541 km) from North America and almost halfway between North America and Asia . In Hawaii and overseas American territories , for instance,

1749-549: The full DPS Law Enforcement Training Program. VPSOs are employed by local Native Corporations and supervised by designated area Troopers. VPSOs carry out only basic police tasks such as emergency call response, juvenile offense investigations, protective custody holds of inebriates, assistance to social workers and medical providers, crime scene preservation, issuance of citations for misdemeanor and non-criminal violation offenses, misdemeanor arrests and detention of felony suspects for surrender to troopers, wildlife protection through

1802-993: The largest metropolitan police agency in Alaska, the Anchorage Police Department, with almost 300 officers, and the Wasilla Police Department, with about 28 officers. The remaining officers are the over 300 Alaska troopers and smaller municipal agencies, which have around 50 in towns like the state capital of Juneau or the second largest town in the state, Fairbanks . The remaining full-time officers serve in small agencies with anywhere from one to ten officers on average. The Alaska State Troopers are assisted in their rural policing duties by Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs). VPSOs are, as of 2014, fully sworn and armed peace officers who handle basic law enforcement in extremely remote and/or small Alaskan communities; Alaskan state troopers travel to these communities to assist VPSOs as needed. The DPS

1855-677: The late 1970s as a means of providing rural Alaskan communities with needed public safety services at the local level. The program was created to reduce the loss of life due to fires, drowning, lost persons, and the lack of immediate emergency medical assistance in rural communities. The Village Public Safety Officer Program was designed to train and employ individuals residing in the village as first responders to public safety emergencies such as search and rescue, fire protection, emergency medical assistance, crime prevention and basic law enforcement. Recent pay raises, statutory changes for firearms armed VPSOs and other areas of expanded training have improved

1908-474: The lower 48 states. The Alaska State Troopers trace special duties back to the onset of World War II , when Territorial Highway Patrolmen watched for Japanese invaders and saboteurs by guarding and patrolling Alaska seaports, railroad tracks, airports, military posts and other important facilities. This was especially critical following the invasion of Alaska by the Japanese. Territorial patrolmen also assisted

1961-596: The mainland, such as the Aleutian Islands ( Alaska ), San Juan Islands ( Washington ), the Channel Islands ( California ), the Keys ( Florida ), the barrier islands ( Gulf and East Coast states), and Long Island (New York). CONUS , a technical term used by the U.S. Department of Defense , General Services Administration , NOAA/National Weather Service , and others, has been defined both as

2014-557: The military by arresting deserters and AWOLS from the armed forces. After the 9-11 attacks , Alaska State Troopers were recognized by the US government as being in an extremely valuable and unique position and thus a critical asset to national security. Alaska is by distance close to a nuclear-armed nation— North Korea —and even closer to the People's Republic of China . Alaska actually borders Russia and these factors have caused AST to have

2067-512: The most geographically extended law enforcement officers within the United States, apart from federal officers. They have little, if any, local backup. Within the entire State of Alaska, only about 1,300 full-time sworn law enforcement officers patrol a state 1/5th the size of the entire Lower 48. Other than troopers and state park rangers ( peace officers employed by Alaska’s Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation), local officers remain in their communities except in extreme emergencies. This includes

2120-665: The officers of every agency in the state of Alaska, with the exception of the Anchorage Police Department and any federal law enforcement agencies operating in Alaska. The Public Safety Training Academy is run by the Director who is the rank of Lieutenant and the Deputy Director who is the rank of Sergeant. The Academy also has instructors who are the rank of Corporal. There are also civilian staff members tasked with office work, food preparation, maintenance, and janitorial duties. The Public Safety Training Academy operates on

2173-566: The only two non- contiguous states, which are Alaska and Hawaii (they are also the last two states to be admitted to the Union ), and all other offshore insular areas , such as the U.S. territories of American Samoa , Guam , the Northern Mariana Islands , Puerto Rico , and the U.S. Virgin Islands . The colloquial term " Lower   48 " is also used, especially in relation to Alaska. The related but distinct term continental United States includes Alaska, which

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2226-599: The rank of Colonel. The Alaska State Troopers trace their heritage back more than a century. Before its founding, law enforcement in Alaska was performed by a succession of federal agencies: the Army , Navy , and Revenue Cutter Service ; the Customs Service ; and the Marshals Service. After a civil government was formed in 1884, the need for law enforcement became critical in the late 19th century as gold

2279-444: The retention and recruitment of VPSOs. There have been 16 Alaska State Troopers, 1 Court Services Officer, and 2 K9s killed since its beginning in 1948. Smith and Wesson M&P model 10 .308 Current issue to AWT The Alaska State Troopers operate the following vehicles: The Alaska Law Enforcement Museum is a small museum located at 245 W. 5th Avenue, Suite 113 across from the 5th Avenue Mall in downtown Anchorage , operated by

2332-406: The same course of instruction, regardless of which agency employs them. Below is a listing of some of the subjects that make up the ALET curriculum: In addition to the above subjects, ALET students also participate in daily physical fitness activities which may include strength training , running, and swimming. The ALET program uses a series of written tests and scenario-based exercises to measure

2385-434: The start of the program in the mid-1970s until the Alaska legislature authorized arming the officers and making them fully empowered peace officers as of July 2014. This legal change was in response to the violent assaults, shootings and even two murders of VPSOs in the line-of-duty on differing occasions. The DPS Academy is tasked to train and certify VPSOs with firearms. In addition, VPSOs also carry all other typical tools of

2438-555: The state of Alaska: The ADPS Training Academy has the following expectations for recruits: The Alaska State Troopers also manage the Village Public Safety Officer program, which provides a peace officer presence in remote communities, usually Native villages that have no police departments and are too small for a trooper post. VPSOs are state trained peace officers, and as of July 2014 are fully credentialed Alaska police officers. They carried no firearms from

2491-491: The state. The Search and Rescue (SAR) Section is headed by a coordinator who is on 24/7 standby. Upon being called, the SAR section may provide watercraft, aircraft and other equipment to assist in SAR efforts. Part of SAR's responsibilities is to coordinate rescue efforts with other SAR groups such as the US Coast Guard or non-profits such as the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group. Another responsibility of

2544-683: The term is qualified with the explicit inclusion of Alaska to resolve any ambiguity. On May 14, 1959, the United States Board on Geographic Names issued the following definitions based partially on the reference in the Alaska Omnibus Bill, which defined the continental United States as "the 49 States on the North American Continent and the District of Columbia..." The Board reaffirmed these definitions on May 13, 1999. However, even before Alaska became

2597-648: The terms the Mainland or U.S. Mainland are often used to refer to the 49 states in North America. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea , approximately 1,000 miles (1,609 km) southeast of Miami , Florida . Puerto Ricans born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens and are free to move to the mainland United States. The term Stateside Puerto Rican refers to residents of any U.S. state or

2650-411: The total area of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, ranks third or fourth. Brazil is 431,000 square kilometers (166,000 sq mi) larger than the contiguous United States, but smaller than the entire United States including Alaska, Hawaii and overseas territories. The 2020 U.S. census population of the area was 328,571,074, comprising 99.13 percent of the nation's total population, and

2703-659: The troopers also handle civil papers and mental health custody orders and serve as police through most of rural Alaska. Alaska does have boroughs , which have some similarities but with the lesser powers of lower-48 U.S. counties , but only the North Slope Borough Police Department truly functions similarly to a lower-48 county police agency, thus relieving AST of the need to be the primary police agency in this particular region. With jurisdiction across all 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 square kilometres) of Alaska, Alaskan state troopers are

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2756-587: The use of contiguous or conterminous United States instead of lower 48 when the 48 states are meant, unless used in the context of Alaska. Almost all of Hawaii is south of the southernmost point of the conterminous United States in Florida. During World War II , the first four numbered Air Forces of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) were said to be assigned to the Zone of

2809-414: Was discovered in Alaska. Gold rush towns had crime rates per capita that dwarfed those of modern U.S. cities. Prostitution, gambling, murder, rape, robbery, arson, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and claim jumping incidents were rampant. Frightened citizens desperately called for help. As a result, scores of deputy marshals were deployed to Alaska. Some cities and towns began to charter police departments in

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