The Alaska State Troopers , officially 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 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.
39-545: Nome Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska , mostly overlapping with the Seward Peninsula . As of the 2020 census , the population was 10,046, up from 9,492 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat . Its largest community by far is the city of Nome . According to the United States Census Bureau , the census area has
78-687: 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
117-539: 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
156-453: A total area of 28,278 square miles (73,240 km), of which 22,962 square miles (59,470 km) is land and 5,316 square miles (13,770 km) (18.8%) is water. It also includes the large offshore St. Lawrence Island , which has about 14 percent of the census area's population and two of its larger cities in Gambell and Savoonga . Nome Census Area is the 7th largest county-equivalent in
195-859: 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
234-685: 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)
273-481: 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)
312-671: 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
351-553: Is divided into 19 organized boroughs and 11 census areas in the unorganized borough . Alaska and the state of Louisiana are the only states that do not call their first-order administrative subdivisions counties (Louisiana uses parishes instead). Delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model with different classes of boroughs varying in powers and duties. Many of
390-478: 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
429-919: 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
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#1732765713448468-507: Is the portion of the U.S. state of Alaska not contained in any of its 19 organized boroughs . While referred to as the "Unorganized Borough", it is not a borough itself. It encompasses over half of Alaska's area, 970,500 km . If the unorganized Borough were a state in itself, it would be the largest state in the United States of America, larger than the rest of Alaska and larger than Texas or California. (374,712 mi ). As of
507-689: The 2023 Census estimate, 10% of Alaskans (75,362 people) reside in it. Currently unique among the United States , Alaska is not entirely subdivided into organized county equivalents. For the 1980 census, the United States Census Bureau divided the unorganized borough into 12 census areas to facilitate census taking in the vast unorganized area. As new boroughs incorporate, these areas have been altered or eliminated to accommodate, such that there are currently 11 census areas: Alaska State Troopers Because Alaska has no counties , therefore no county police or sheriffs , in its constitution,
546-464: 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
585-749: 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
624-470: 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
663-830: 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
702-704: 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
741-549: 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
780-1046: 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
819-677: 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
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#1732765713448858-474: 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
897-557: 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
936-565: The most densely populated regions of the state are part of Alaska's boroughs, which function similarly to counties in other states. There are four different classifications of organized boroughs: "Unified Home Rule" or "Non-unified Home Rule" (may exercise all legislative powers not prohibited by law or charter); "First Class" (may exercise any power not prohibited by law on a non-area wide basis by adopting ordinances); and "Second Class" (must gain voter approval for authority to exercise many non-area wide powers). However, unlike county-equivalents in
975-512: 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
1014-665: 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
1053-558: The other 49 states, the organized boroughs do not cover the entire land area of the state. The area not part of any organized borough is referred to as the Unorganized Borough . The U.S. Census Bureau , in cooperation with the state, divides the Unorganized Borough into 11 census areas, each roughly corresponding to an election district, thus totaling 30 county equivalents. However, these areas exist solely for
1092-546: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.32% reported speaking a Yupik language at home, while 8.75% speak Inupiaq ; a further 2.02% reported speaking "Eskimo", a term that covers both Yupik and Inupiaq. Of the 2,693 households, 45.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.40% were married couples living together, 15.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 23.20% of households were one person, and 3.30% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size
1131-740: The purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government of their own. Boroughs and census areas are both treated as county-level equivalents by the Census Bureau. Some areas in the Unorganized Borough receive limited public services directly from the Alaska state government, usually law enforcement from the Alaska State Troopers and educational funding. Seven consolidated city-borough governments exist— Juneau City and Borough , Skagway Municipality , Sitka City and Borough , Yakutat City and Borough , Wrangell City and Borough , Haines Borough , as well as
1170-599: 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
1209-444: 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
Nome Census Area, Alaska - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-434: 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
1287-514: The state of Alaska. As of the census of 2000, there were 9,196 people, 2,693 households, and 1,898 families living in the census area. The population density was 0.3 people per square mile (0.12 people/km). There were 3,649 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km). The racial makeup of the census area was 19.32% White, 0.38% Black or African American, 75.20% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 4.21% from two or more races. 1.00% of
1326-555: 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
1365-622: The state's largest city, Anchorage . Though its legal name is the Municipality of Anchorage, it is considered a consolidated city-borough under state law. The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 55-2,3,4 codes, which are used by the United States Census Bureau to uniquely identify states and counties, is provided with each entry. Alaska's code is 02, so each code is of the format 02XXX. The FIPS code for each county equivalent links to census data for that county equivalent. There are 30 divisions in Alaska. The Unorganized Borough
1404-491: 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
1443-659: 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
1482-513: Was 3.33 and the average family size was 4.01. In the census area the population was spread out, with 37.10% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 18.60% from 45 to 64, and 5.90% 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 122.70 males. 64°44′N 164°11′W / 64.74°N 164.19°W / 64.74; -164.19 Census area The U.S. state of Alaska
1521-414: 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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