Though famous for its awe-inspiring natural beauty, Alaska's rugged landscape presents challenges to the safety and well-being of rural tribal communities isolated by their surrounding mountains. This is particularly true in the western area of the state known as the Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta, one of the most remote regions in the United States.

YK Delta residents—about 28,000 people in 56 federally recognized tribes, who live in tribal villages and maintain their traditional language and culture—lack many of the services that more urbanized areas of the state enjoy. In some cases, that includes electricity, roadway infrastructure, and running water; in many others, it’s local law enforcement.

Some villages employ Village Public Safety Officers (VSPO). But, though the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Alaska State Troopers (AST) have provided training in law enforcement and fire and emergency medical services to VPSOs since 1979, the attrition rate of these officers has been high.

An Alaska Native solution for an Alaska Native challenge

Responding to this situation in 2010, Yuut Elitnaurviat (Yuut), the largest rural training center in remote Alaska and the only one specializing in tribal law enforcement, set up a two-week law enforcement training program in partnership with the Alaska DPS and the Alaska Police Standards Council.

Held at Yuut’s campus in the YK Delta city of Bethel, the training was designed to provide VPOs and TPOs with fundamental skills and put more boots on the ground. However, though the training improved public safety in several villages, many others remained without adequate support.

According to Clarence Daniel, Community Development Division Director of the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP), a Western Alaska tribal consortium located in Bethel, “Village people said ‘It’s the wild west out here. We need more and stronger law enforcement.’” So, to close the gap, amp up the training, and expand it to three weeks, AVCP applied for and received funding from a Tribal Resources Grant Program – Technical Assistance award from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) to launch the Rural Alaska Tegustet Program.

Commenting on the award, Matt Lysakowski, COPS Office Senior Advisor for Tribal Affairs, said, “Knowing that public safety challenges in Alaska Native communities are best addressed by Alaska Native solutions, we were excited to fund this technical assistance project with AVCP and offer needed training to VPOs/TPOs from across the state.”

Putting more boots on the ground with the Tegustet program

Tegustet, which means police in Yup'ik, was developed not only to improve the skills of current VPOs and TPOs who could learn from it but also to recruit and provide intensive training to new officers.

By increasing basic training to three weeks, Tegustet’s VPO/TPO Academy now covers more aspects of policing and provides more hands-on learning experience with instruction from experts in their fields. Tegustet also offers an advanced course for continuing career development and a law enforcement career camp for young people.

Said Daniel, “Tribal communities are very happy that there is finally advanced training for VPOs/TPOs, and [they] especially like that the training is available locally, in Bethel. As for the officers themselves, we are equipping them not only with the knowledge and skills to carry out their jobs, but the authority. To a certain extent, they had that before, from village or tribal leaders, but this training gives them more.”

Training designed for the unique needs of rural tribal communities

AVCP and Yuut built on the training that has been given to VPOs, TPOs and VPSOs by ASTs since the 1970s. Yuut provided facilities and funding for the additional VPO/TPO training and, with the support of DPS/AST, delivered it.

Said Tiffany Tony, Yuut Director of Operations, “Though there is formal training for VPSOs, it is located in Sitka, which is a long distance from the YK Delta and is 12 weeks, which contributed to some VPSO candidates dropping out. So, in addition to tailoring the VPO/TPO training to the educational needs of rural officers and the unique needs of remote Alaska communities, we held it in Bethel.”

Four basic Tegustet VPO/TPO Academies have been held through the project, providing a total of 48 VPOs and TPOs with intensive training in areas such as CPR, rural firefighting, writing police reports, criminal codes, domestic violence response, use of force, and defensive tactics. Officers received additional instruction in topics such as stress management, crime scene investigation, court procedures, forensics and evidence. Hands-on training was provided in the use of computers, cameras, and recorders.

Yuut also developed a three-week advanced VPO/TPO training that not only increases officers’ skill levels but also provides them with a career ladder and incentive to stay with the job, as well as greater respect in the villages. Officers in the advanced program sharpen their investigative skills and receive an introduction to the Alaska Records Management System (ARMS) electronic reporting system. Another added benefit is the opportunity to network with other law enforcement professionals from across the state.

Planning for the future with rural public safety youth camps

To increase the ranks of law enforcement officers over the years, the Tegustet project also funded two five-day Alaska Youth Academy camps. These camps, which were also held at the Yuut campus and developed in partnership with the Lower Kuskokwim School District, were designed not only to interest native youth in public safety careers but also to encourage them to lead the kind of life that would qualify them to become officers.

In the two camps held in the summer of 2023, 22 local students ages 15 to 20 learned CPR and first aid, did a mock crime scene investigation, learned how to collect fingerprints, and got survival training tailored to the harsh climate of Western Alaska.

They were taught by a wide variety of professionals, including members of the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, ASTs, VPSOs, and the U.S. Coast Guard, who also introduced them to firefighting and boating safety.

According to Steve Arlow, a former state trooper who led the camp program, the students performed very well and greatly enjoyed learning new skills. He said, “In a graduation ceremony at the end of the camp, the kids got certificates for CPR, Martial Arts and Survival Training. And they were really proud of earning these certificates. So were their parents, who were also very grateful for the program.”

Added AVCP's Daniel, “A lot of people are happy that there is an introduction to law enforcement careers at a younger age and feel that it makes the kids aware of how they have to live to qualify to become a police officer.”

Arlow agreed, saying, “The choices some young people make in life disqualify them from joining the ranks. This helps them get onto the right path. Even if only 10 percent of time, we can turn a life around and open their eyes, that makes these camps more than worth it.”

Reflecting on the entire Tegustet program, Yuut Director of Operations Tony added, “We’re trying to make our communities safe and do it in a grassroots way. We are showing that there is a local solution to the challenges of high crime and that we really can change things.”

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