Alaska State Troopers

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United StatesUnited States Alaska State Troopers
- AST -
Alaska State Troopers logo
State level State of Alaska
legal form authority
Consist since 1967
Headquarters Anchorage
Authority management Comm. Walt Monegan (2018)
Employee approx. 953 (as of 2013)
Website http://www.dps.state.ak.us/ast

The Alaska State Troopers, officially actually the Division of Alaska State Troopers (AST), are the state police force of the US state Alaska . It reports to the Alaska Department of Public Safety , which includes various law enforcement and safety agencies . The tasks of the state troopers are the higher-level, state-wide prosecution of criminal offenses, if necessary in cooperation with local police authorities, the maintenance of public safety and order, traffic monitoring and the control of hunting and nature conservation regulations . The agency has around 650 police officers and 300 civilian employees.

history

In the early years of the Territory, various organizations, including the United States Army and Navy, and from 1884, after the District of Alaska was founded , the US Marshals took on the task of law enforcement. When larger gold deposits were discovered in the course of the 19th century and the so-called Klondike gold rush occurred, the crime rates in the settlements rose massively. In addition to minor violations such as illegal gambling and prostitution, there were also robberies, arson, the illegal takeover of gold mining sites and murders. Washington then dispatched marshals and some cities began to hire their own police forces. It was not until 1941 that the first national police force was created with the Alaska Highway Patrol, whose responsibility initially only extended to the highways and not to remote areas. The organization got more rights over the years and experienced several name changes until it became known as the official state police in its current form and name in 1967.

organization

It is headed by a civilian Commissioner (Commissioner) , but which usually has many years of experience and former leadership responsibilities in this area.

In contrast to almost all other US states, Alaska does not have any counties , which are smaller administrative units within the respective state. Instead, there are so-called boroughs , which, however, have far fewer powers. Only three (Anchorage, Bristol Bay, North Slope) of the 19 "organized" boroughs and 50 individual parishes or places have their own police department. With a few exceptions (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau) these only consist of a few people. Therefore, the Alaska State Troopers form the primary and most important police force and, along with the officers of the US federal police, are responsible for the largest geographical area in the USA. Due to the climatic conditions with lots of ice, snow and extreme temperatures in winter, most local police authorities never leave their place of jurisdiction, except in special emergencies.

AST has various departments, some of which have specialized tasks:

  • Alaska State Troopers: 5 regional units (A to E) with a total of 43 police stations in all areas of the state (regular police work such as crime prevention, search and arrest of criminals; conduct of procedural processes for civil affairs and law enforcement)
  • Alaska Highway Patrol: 3 Trooper ( traffic police duties on the Seward Highway )
  • Alaska Wildlife Troopers: 2 regional units with 35 police posts and 3 patrol ships (hunting and environmental protection, fisheries supervision)
  • Alaska Bureau of Investigations: 7 specialized investigative units, regionally distributed over 11 locations (planning and implementation of important investigations, e.g. capital crimes , sex crimes , man searches , internet crime , drug trafficking as well as fraud and counterfeit offenses )
  • Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT): Special units at 3 locations (high-risk operations such as hostage-taking, execution of arrest warrants or terrorism (see also SWAT ))
  • Search and Rescue (SAR): State troopers organize search and rescue missions with the involvement of various institutions, possibly with the contribution of their own resources or command and control equipment

Village Public Safety Officer Program

In addition to the regularly employed police personnel, AST maintains the Village Public Safety Officer Program (VPSO), in German a program for those responsible for public safety within smaller communities . These are village policemen who perform police duties in remote settlements, often largely inhabited by indigenous people, and who are usually also resident there. They are supposed to ensure presence in these areas and have been considered fully accredited police officers since 2014. Does a VPSO receive support, e.g. B. When a wanted criminal is arrested, state troopers are flown in by plane.

Training and academy

The training of new recruits (16 weeks Alaska Law Enforcement Training, 2 weeks Trooper Basic Course) takes place in the Alaska State Trooper Academy in the city and administrative district of Sitka . In addition to accommodation and training rooms, there are other training facilities (driving simulators, training simulators, shooting ranges). In addition to the Alaska State Troopers, local (city) police officers, rangers , fire marshals and VPSOs are trained. Food and documents are provided for the trainees, sports and practical training are just as much part of the paid training as the academic parts about criminal and administrative regulations and procedures. Up to 80% of applicants fail the sports performance test at the first attempt.

The base salary of a state trooper is between approximately 62,000 and 70,000 US dollars per year (as of 2018), depending on qualifications . With several years of affiliation this can increase significantly to up to $ 40 per hour (approx. $ 83,000 per year based on an assumed 2,080 working hours). When doing work in certain regions of Alaska, a bonus of up to 60% on wages can also be granted.

AST patrol boat in Seward Harbor

Management and operational resources

Due to the geographical conditions, a coastal and mountainous country with low population density and extreme weather conditions, the state police of Alaska have a large number of otherwise rather rare resources such as patrol boats , quads and 40 airplanes and helicopters , some of which are suitable for water landings . Sedans and SUVs, mostly from the automobile manufacturer Ford, are used as patrol cars . The standard service pistol issued is the Glock 22 model in .40 Smith & Wesson , while the long guns used are Remington 870 shotguns and AR-15 semi-automatic rifles .

Trivia

The National Geographic Channel has been broadcasting a television series of the same name in the United States since 2009, which accompanies troopers and village police officers in their work in 42-minute episodes. As of 2018, 7 seasons with a total of 89 episodes had been produced.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Alaska Department of Public Safety: History. Retrieved February 16, 2018 (American English).
  2. ↑ a b Homepage Anchorage Police Department. Retrieved February 28, 2019 (American English).
  3. ^ Homepage Bristol Bay Police Department. Retrieved February 28, 2019 (American English).
  4. ^ Homepage North Slope Police Department. Retrieved February 28, 2019 (American English).
  5. ^ Members of the Alaska Police Standards Council. Retrieved February 28, 2019 (American English).
  6. ^ Homepage Juneau Police Department. Retrieved February 28, 2019 (American English).
  7. ^ Department of pubic Safety: Homepage Alaska's Department of Public Safety. Retrieved February 28, 2019 (American English).
  8. ^ Alaska Department of Public Safety: Village Public Safety Officer Program. Retrieved February 16, 2018 (American English).
  9. ↑ PoliceMag: Alaska's Village Public Safety Officers . ( policemag.com [accessed February 16, 2018]).
  10. ^ Alaska Department of Public Safety: Schedule. Retrieved February 28, 2019 (American English).
  11. ^ Alaska Department of Public Safety: Academy. Retrieved February 16, 2018 (American English).
  12. ^ Thea Card, KDLG - Dillingham: Alaska State Troopers Want To Recruit In-State Applicants . In: Alaska Public Media . ( alaskapublic.org [accessed February 16, 2018]).
  13. ^ Alaska Department of Public Safety: Pay. Retrieved February 16, 2018 (American English).
  14. ^ Alaska Department of Public Safety: Pay Incentives. Retrieved February 16, 2018 (American English).
  15. ^ Alaska Department of Public Safety: Aircraft Section. Retrieved February 16, 2018 (American English).