Peter B. Mathiesen - Tales of the Alaska State Troopers: Stories of Courage, Survival, and Honor from the Last Frontier

Copyright 2015 by Peter B. Mathiesen

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Rain Saukas

Cover photo provided by Peter B. Mathiesen

Print ISBN: 978-1-62636-068-6

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-145-4

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

To my wonderful family, who have endeared the woods and rivers, always lending their unfathomable support.

Thank you, Sandra, Michael, Bekah, Hannah, Zach, and Bailey

A Special Thank You

There have been two people in my life who have encouraged me to tell stories.

A special thank-you to my dear wife, Sandra, and my mentor, Slaton L. White.

I would have starved without you both.

Contents

Acknowledgments

M any individuals assisted with this book with everything from referrals to research and even flying me to the bush.

Thank you to Tom Anderson and the FOAST organization; Tom and Renae Redman; Gary Peters; Sheila Selkregg; Deb Brock and KTNA; Marilyn Wick; Mat and Aurora Courtney; Tom and Janet Lemmon; Jenny Kreppel; Tony Martin; and the Public Affairs Office of the Alaska State Troopers.

And a special thank-you to Shani, who hijacked a dinner with a great suggestion, and Jay Cassell for his patience.

Introduction

A laska State Troopers, like all law enforcement officers, are willing to face tremendous responsibility and risk. Yet, there is one key difference in the Last Frontier: these men and women in the forty-ninth state are frequently covering territories the size of Massachusetts or larger.

The troopers are assigned to five geographic detachments that provide patrol, enforcement, and search and rescue to all areas of the state. There are no county police departments and only about a dozen municipal departments. Their call of duty covers sixteen boroughs and their entire state employs an average of 419 troopers who cover an area nearly three times the size of Texas. Their territory includes a handful of highways, a few paved roads, and countless, winding gravel and dirt roads. And in rural Alaska, these troopers are the only law a citizen can call.

During the winter, troopers respond and work in some of the deadliest weather on the planet. Their dedication is utterly remarkable. Theyre driven by their passion for their jobs, for adventure, for the love of their state, and for a pledge to the oath theyve taken to protect that states unique citizens. They face incalculable risks with fearless commitment in the face of a fully armed populaceoften with no assistance. On any given day, they could face a rogue bear, an unstable armed resident, a drug dealer, a smuggler, a terrorist, or even an errant moose.

They use floatplanes, helicopters, jet boats, ATVs, snow machines, airboats, and yes, even the occasional cruiser. You would find these men and women obsessed with unswerving dedication along with a deep admiration for the state they serve.

During the interview process, it became apparent that although these stories are truly remarkable, they are commonplace among most troopers. Many rural troopers have found unexploded ordnance or dynamite, scraped a frozen body off the floor of a remote cabin, or had to move a thousand-pound moose off a lonely stretch of roadalone.

This book chronicles just a few of the stories that were told to me personally by the Alaska State Troopers who participated in and witnessed these events. They are true and not exaggerated. And, in a place as wild and untamed as Alaska, the circumstances make these behaviors seem typical. Yet, they would be atypical anywhere else in the United States.

History of the Alaska State Troopers

H ighway and rural law enforcement is a challenging job anywhere. Even in the western United States with large expanse and lonely roads, most State Troopers know what it feels like to be alone with no backup. However, in Alaska, a State Trooper faces challenges that cant be equaled by any other state in the lower 48. One-fifth the size of the contiguous United States, Alaska comprises 586,412 square miles of extraordinarily diverse territory and climates that are life-threatening even in the summer.

State Troopers cope with blizzards, hundreds of inches of snowfall, avalanches, winds in excess of 100 mph, sub-zero temperatures, and heavy rainfall. The state has more inhospitable vertical terrain than anywhere on the continent, with endless mountain ranges, glaciers, tundra, and rainforests. There are more than 3,000 rivers, more than 3 million lakes and a coastline of 6,640 miles. The vast expanses of the state often possess more danger than the traditional form of violence associated with a law enforcement career.

The evolution of law enforcement in Alaska began in the mid-1800s when the United States Army and Navy was the sole law enforcement authority throughout the vast region. Later, United States Marshals were appointed but were far too few in number. The tumult of the Gold Rush period, both at Skagway and Nome, first brought to focus the need for an additional law enforcement organization to supplement the US Marshals Office. However, the US Marshals would continue to bear the responsibility for law enforcement in Alaska for the next forty years.

By the early 1950s, the Federal Department of Justice recognized the increasing law enforcement needs of the Territory, particularly in the bush areas of Alaska. The Territorial Legislature responded in 1953 by establishing the Alaska Territorial Police to provide law enforcement services for the entire Territory. Total strength: thirty-six officers. The Alaska Highway Patrol had already gained a reputation as an elite corps, and formal training became a hallmark of the new Territorial Police. As the officers began to serve in remote posts, they gained a reputation for integrity and capability, a reputation that has been carried forward to the present day.

With the advent of statehood in 1959, the name of Alaskas law enforcement agency was changed to the Alaska State Police and the organization became a division of the Department of Public Safety. The new State Police added thirteen former US Marshals and ten new recruits to their ranks, increasing their number to seventy-eight commissioned officers. During this time, the State Police would provide contract officers for communities willing to pay for trained law enforcement. Kotzebue, Kenai-Soldotna, Seward, Palmer, and Bethel were among the communities to pay for a contract officer from the State Police.

During Governor Wally Hickels first administration in 1967, the name was changed to the Alaska State Troopers. Under Commissioner Mel Personett, the troopers focused their work in areas of Alaska not being served by community police and offered more sophisticated services to law enforcement organizations statewide. Also in 1967, the Public Safety Training Academy saw its first year of operation.