What the Alaska State Troopers do for Alaska

Providing comprehensive public safety to all Alaskans has been a challenge since statehood. It is a challenge that the Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers aggressively work to tackle each and every day. What we see is clear. Troopers do this work with little to no recognition for their service and dedication. They do this work even when it means transferring to serve in a community far away from their families and friends. They do this work even when they’re met by a community with hostility or a lack of cooperation, which occurs frequently. Troopers do this work because they passionately believe that every Alaskan deserves safety.

The Department of Public Safety certainly struggles with ensuring that the troopers who serve Alaskans can adequately respond to every community that needs them. The sheer size and scope of the geographic territory that makes up Alaska makes that incredibly difficult, but we are making systematic improvements to increase the number of troopers available, as well as the equipment and aircraft available to transport troopers into every Alaska community.

From day one, Gov. Mike Dunleavy has made public safety his top priority. But with that comes some very serious realities. When the Dunleavy administration took office, we inherited a significant recruitment and retention crisis within the ranks of the Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers. In addition, we inherited a historically low number of Village Public Safety Officers employed by 10 VPSO employers in rural Alaska – the lowest number of VPSOs in the history of the program, at just over 40.

Addressing these realities and improving public safety for Alaskans became our immediate priority. The Department of Public Safety worked decisively to address the challenges facing our Troopers. After eight months in office, we are proud to say that recruitment for the Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers boasts the highest numbers of any year since 2005. For the first time in more than a decade, all vacant positions with the Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers will be filled.

At the same time, significant work and reform was made within the Village Public Safety Officer Program. This is a complex program, in part because VPSOs are not employed by the Department of Public Safety; in fact, they are not state employees at all. The state funds the program, but 10 different nonprofit organizations are responsible for recruiting and retaining VPSOs. Although an incredibly talented and dedicated number of VPSOs serve Alaskans across our state, the program itself has been underperforming, and has not been improving public safety. This is reflected in the fact that when Gov. Dunleavy took office, there were fewer VPSOs than ever seen before in the history of the program. And while some have attempted to say otherwise, this has not been due to the lack of funding. Every year, over the last three years, the program has returned more than $2 million back to the state. DPS has actively worked with the VPSO employers to make significant changes to the grant agreement. We expect those changes will result in a higher number of VPSO applicants and new hires serving Alaskans in the near future. In fact, just this week, seven newly hired VPSO recruits started the training academy alongside troopers – every VPSO applicant that passed backgrounds was hired.

Law enforcement recruitment and retention nationwide is in crisis, and Alaska is no exception. As the Commissioner of Public Safety but also a citizen who reads social media and hears how law enforcement are portrayed by our media, I can’t help but wonder: If there were more of an effort to highlight the dedication and bravery of our law enforcement officers, could we reset the attitude toward these outstanding individuals? Would that reset show Alaskans that law enforcement professionals are valued? And, if our nation proudly stood by the men and women who served, maybe the challenges plaguing recruitment would be minimized.

This past Saturday, I joined Gov. Dunleavy and a large number of Alaska State Troopers and other law enforcement in North Pole to honor fallen heroes at the Trooper Gabe Rich and Trooper Scott Johnson Fallen Heroes Memorial. During this event, the Fairbanks North Star Borough honored Alaskans who died in the line of duty; forever enshrining their names alongside those before them. Four names were read and added. Watching a young girl place a white rose on the memorial in honor of her fallen father, watching a wife weep as she placed the rose in honor of her husband – while it was a privilege to honor their memories, the loss was palpable.

The public trend seems to be to only discuss that which troopers aren’t doing for Alaskans. We rarely hear of Alaskans and visitors lives saved by troopers or the bravery and courage shown in extraordinary circumstances troopers face daily. Or that a trooper would lay down their life to help keep you, a stranger, safe. The fact is, what troopers do for Alaska improves this state.

As I look back on that day, a day that highlighted the ultimate sacrifice of our men and women who commit to serve as law enforcement and keep Alaska safe, I ask this of Alaskans:

No matter the challenge or frustration, back the blue. Regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status, back the blue. During times of concern in your community, when you are seeking more public safety support, back the blue. Even if you don’t agree with a decision, back the blue. Even when you read yet another article about what troopers aren’t doing for Alaska, back the blue. But know this – even if you don’t, they back you.

Amanda Price is the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.

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