Initial Report and Recommendations - Alaska Department of Law

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With the advent of statehood in 1959, the name of Alaska’s statewideenforcement agency was changed to the Alaska State Police, and the organization becamea division of the Alaska Department of Public Safety. The new State Police added 13former U.S. Marshals and 10 new recruits to its ranks, increasing the number of StatePolice to 78 commissioned officers. During this time the State Police also provided“contract officers” for communities that were willing to pay for trained law enforcement.Kotzebue was the only community located in rural Alaska that had “contract officers” inthe early years of Alaska’s statehood. 14In 1967, the agency’s name was changed to the Alaska State Troopers. TheTroopers focused their work in areas of Alaska that were not being served by communitypolice and began to offer more sophisticated services to law enforcement organizationsstatewide. Also in 1967, the Public Safety Training Academy marked its first year ofoperation. Today the Alaska State Troopers number approximately 383 commissionedofficers. 152b. Village Public Safety OfficersWhen Bill Nix was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Public Safetyin March 1979, he ordered a study and a restructuring of the village police officerprogram, which led to a proposal by James Messick (a member of the Office of Directorof the Alaska State Troopers) to create the Village Public Safety Officer Program.Messick’s proposal began by describing the situation that prevailed in rural Alaska at thattime:Public safety in rural Alaska is perhaps the most neglected aspect ofvillage life, and this poses a serious threat to the bush residents inhabitingabout 200 villages….Consider that rural Alaska:• Suffers the highest loss of life and property due to fire within theUnited States, and indeed the industrialized Western world;• Suffers the highest loss of life due to boating mishaps anddrownings in the United States;• Is one of the most inaccessible areas of the United States to obtainassistance from law enforcement agencies;• Is one of the most inaccessible areas of the United States to obtainmajor medical emergencies assistance;• Leads the State, and perhaps the nation in the incidence of searchand rescue missions;• Leads the State in incidence of alcohol abuse and alcoholism; and• Has the least developed local resources to address these problemsof the State, and possibly the entire United States.1415The other “non-rural” communities were Kenai-Soldotna, Seward, and Palmer.For a map showing the location of Alaska State Trooper outposts, see Appendix A.Alaska Rural Justice and Law Enforcement Commission - Page 11
It is safe to assume that no group of Caucasian communities wouldtolerate similar circumstances, and that they would demand equalprotection under the law. 16The proposal goes on to list the functions of the new Village Public SafetyOfficers (VPSOs), which are (a) law enforcement, (b) water safety, (c) fire service, (d)emergency medical service, (e) search and rescue, and (f) village ordinances. The planwas for one person from each village to be broadly trained in all aspects of public safety,including all of the six listed functions. The Officers were to receive three levels oftraining. The first level was an initial one-week survey course to present an overall viewof the public safety field. Second was a four-week session consisting of two weeks oflaw enforcement, search and rescue, water safety, and local ordinance development; andtwo weeks of emergency medical training. Third was one week of fire fighting and fireprevention. Completion of this training would result in:1. Certification by the Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC) as a VillagePolice Officer;2. Certification by the State of Alaska as an Emergency Medical Technician(EMT);3. Certification by the Department of Education as a Rural Fire Fighter I; and4. Award (of an as yet undetermined number) of college credits by SheldonJackson College / University of Alaska. 17It was envisioned that the early phase of the training would take place close to theVPSO’s home community and that later phases would be held in hub cities. Some of thefirst training sessions were held in Nome and Kotzebue. The fire training was planned tobe coordinated with the State Fire Service Training Program, which was in the process ofconstructing training facilities in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kotzebue, Bethel, and Juneau.The initial funding for the program was proposed to be federal ComprehensiveEducation and Training Act (CETA) funds granted to the Native non-profit corporations,but, because CETA funds could be used to pay for only the first 18 months ofemployment, it was acknowledged that “alternative means for funding must be developedto meet the objectives of both the Village Public Safety Officer and CETA programs.” 18The VPSO Program was implemented in 1981, with 52 positions throughout theState (i.e., working in approximately one fourth of the villages of rural Alaska). Thetraining has been expanded to a nine-week program, all of which now takes place at thePublic Safety Academy in Sitka. Five of the basic areas are still covered: (a) lawenforcement, (b) fire fighting, (c) search and rescue, (d) water safety and (e) emergencymedical services. VPSOs also receive annual refresher courses. The managementauthority for the VPSO program resides with three entities: the village where the VPSO islocated, the regional non-profit Native corporation that receives the funds from theDepartment of Public Safety, and the Alaska State Troopers. Currently the corporationsthat manage VPSOs include the Aleutian/Pribilof Islands Association, Association of161718Messick, M. James “Village Safety Officer Program.” Alaska Justice Forum, 1979, 3 (6): 1, 6-10, p. 1.ibid, p. 7.ibid, p. 9.Alaska Rural Justice and Law Enforcement Commission - Page 12
Page 2 and 3: IntroductionFor years, Alaska Nativ
Page 4 and 5: In MemoriamEric D. JohnsonApril 27,
Page 6 and 7: continuous. Those who worked hardes
Page 8 and 9: Executive SummaryCreated by Congres
Page 10 and 11: 8. Increase Access to Judicial Serv
Page 12 and 13: Chapter I. Statement of NeedThe Ala
Page 14 and 15: When domestic violence services are
Page 18 and 19: Village Council Presidents, Bristol
Page 20 and 21: “[M]any of the laws that we have
Page 22 and 23: “[W]e’re 10 times the national
Page 24 and 25: Great contrast exists today between
Page 26 and 27: The literature has often decried th
Page 28 and 29: Another resource on economic opport
Page 30 and 31: The continuing escalation of fuel c
Page 32 and 33: In 1999, in an effort to curb youth
Page 34 and 35: and follow-up contacts. Since it wa
Page 36 and 37: Chapter II. Charge to the Commissio
Page 38 and 39: ♦ Gail Schubert, Executive Vice P
Page 40 and 41: additional time to a person speakin
Page 42 and 43: . Exchange of Information. The memb
Page 44 and 45: sheets that had been prepared by th
Page 46 and 47: Chapter IIIResponse and Recommendat
Page 48 and 49: • Developing voluntary memoranda
Page 50 and 51: example, during a protracted negoti
Page 52 and 53: staffing in Alaska is a significant
Page 54 and 55: history of being in a community for
Page 56 and 57: “The State of Alaska is mandated
Page 58 and 59: “The AFN Sobriety program provide
Page 60 and 61: community enhances alienation and i
Page 62 and 63: oth the state and the federal gover
Page 64 and 65: enforcement programs. In this proce
Page 66 and 67:
skills necessary to communicate wit
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and others in the tribal community
Page 70 and 71:
A Comparison of Alaska and the Lowe
Page 72 and 73:
Map Showing the Location of All Ala
Page 74 and 75:
Appendix BBiographical Sketchesof C
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Revenue. Mayor Botelho became Deput
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His wide range of experience includ
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Alaska Rural Justice and Law Enforc
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Workgroup MembersWorkgroup 1: Law E
Page 84 and 85:
Appendix EPhotograph of Commissione
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Appendix FCommission Recommendation
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) Power differential between govern
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9. Adequate legal infrastructure to
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___________________________________
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encouraged and permitted to partici
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___________________________________
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Impact Statement:More culturally ap
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___________________________________
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Option(s):a) Incorporating attitude
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Current Status:Youth Opportunity Gr
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Ideal Status:a) Aftercare programs
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issues; and in the event this becom
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___________________________________
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Ideal Status:Mandatory training yea
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Current Status:In areas without an
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Rationale for Option:To reduce the
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All of the workgroups’ options ca
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• All available vehicles should b
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Appendix HAttachments for Recommend
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(2) materials and equipment used in
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under this section if the family me
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AS 04.11.140(g) package store licen
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Initial Report and Recommendations - Alaska Department of Law

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