Completing The Interview And Physical Fitness Exam
Meeting The Minimum Qualifications
Becoming A Police Officer In Anchorage Alaska
As the largest Police Department in the state of Alaska, the Anchorage Police Department handled over 12,600 crimes in 2010. Here youll find a step-by-step guide on how to become a police officer in Anchorage.
Step 1. Meet the Basic Qualifications for Anchorage Police Officer Candidacy and Submit Your Application
There are certain requirements that you must meet to be considered for jobs as a police officer in Anchorage:
- You must have a high school education:
You can apply online to become a police officer in Anchorage.
Step 2. Written and Ergometrics Examinations
If you stand out as a candidate once your basic qualifications, employment record, and driving and criminal history record have been reviewed, you will be invited to take a written examination that is scored pass/fail.
Step 3. Physical Ability Test
The components of this physical test involve:
- Jumping vertical
- Running a mile and a half
- Running 300 meters
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Attend A Police Academy
Most police hiring programs will include a police academy component for prospective officers who have passed the previous hiring steps. Most law enforcement departments have their own academy, which recruits are required to attend for a period of 12 to 24 weeks before going out into the field. Recruits will usually draw a salary during this period. Academy courses may cover topics such as criminal law, community policing, firearms training, and investigation and defensive tactics.
How To Become A Police Officer: A Quick Guide
If you are interested in becoming a police officer, you will need to learn about the requirements for becoming one and the process you will need to follow. How to Become a Police Officer provides important information for prospective cops, including the comprehensive steps for becoming a police officer* and the specific requirements of each state and major US city. We also offer information on the best educational paths leading to a law enforcement career, the various career possibilities within policing, extensive salary information, expert law enforcement advice, and a jobs tool to find police jobs in your area.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, there are nearly 900,000 police and sheriffs patrol officers, criminal investigators, detectives, and first-line supervisors of police and detectives in the US.1,2,3 Below you will find a step-by-step, practical guide for becoming a police officer to help you along, no matter where you are on your journey.
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Do You Want To Make A Difference
But dont want to carry a badge and a gun? APD has many opportunities for non-sworn personnel in several units throughout the department. From taking emergency calls and dispatching officers, to helping people with records requests to processing evidence, theres a lot that goes on behind the scenes.
Alaska Police Officer Requirements
The Alaska Police Standards Council certifies all law enforcement officers in Alaska, develops and funds law enforcement training, provides polygraph and psychological exams for incoming officers, and decertifies cops when necessary.
Potential police officers who want to uphold public safety in Alaska must:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Be a US citizen
- Possess a valid drivers license
- Have a high school diploma or GED
- Complete a criminal background check
- Have no felony convictions or misdemeanors of domestic violence anywhere in the US, another territory, or by a military court
- Not have used marijuana within one year prior to hire date
- Not have been denied, decertified, or suspended from a certified law enforcement agency in another state
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What Makes A Good Alaska State Trooper
As a recruiter for the Alaska State Troopers, I met some interesting folks. Some were young, some were merely young at heart. Some liked to talk, while others were pretty quiet. They came to us from different backgrounds, with different personalities, and often had different dreams and aspirations. By and large, however, the applicants I came in contact with were a group of ambitious, energetic folks with a heart to serve the public and a desire for something more than just a job. They knew that policing the Last Frontier takes a different kind of cop. It takes an Alaska State Trooper.
If you ask the general public what characteristics contribute to a good Alaska State Trooper, you may hear a variety of things, not all of which are accurate. Some might say that an ideal applicant knows martial arts or has skill with firearms. You might hear that they should have a criminal justice degree, or perhaps military experience. You might be surprised to learn, however, that while many of these things demonstrate how much an applicant has prepared for a career with our agency, they dont necessarily show who will make a great trooper. Yes, we love to hire military veterans, but we also hire schoolteachers. We hire construction workers. We hire salesmen, business professionals, tradesmen, and so many others.
Or that person might be you.
Captain David Willson
Law Enforcement Schooling Programs In Alaska
University of Alaska Community and Technical College offers a police training academy program and University credits for completing the program. It is a program that is recognized by police departments in Alaska and can give you a leg up on the competition when applying for a police job within the state of Alaska. This program is one that costs money, rather than being paid for training after getting hired on by the police department. However, if you are looking to go into law enforcement, it may be a good place to start for those waiting to turn the required age of 21.
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How Much Money Do Police Officers Make In Alaska
Once youve progressed through training and passed with flying colors, its time to graduate and find full-time employment.
Having an idea of the salary expectations for your future can assist you with deciding if this career path is right for you.
Starting wages for Alaskan State Troopers with full-time employment typically range around $36.04/hour or $74,963/year.
If you graduate from the law enforcement academy with a bachelors degree or higher, you can earn a starting salary of $77,771/year.
Those looking for higher rates of pay will need to get more job experience.
After a year, you could be likely to see the following pay increases with full-time employment:
- 1 year of experience: $80,683/year
- 3 years of experience: $86,840/year
- 5 years of experience: $93,475/year
- 6+ years of experience: $96,990/year
Dangerous Weather And Undermanned Departments
In large cities like New York and Chicago, summertime can herald violence with more people outside in public spaces, violent crime rises. But in Alaska, the winter brings its own dangers.
In Fairbanks, Merideth says, brutal winter temperatures add an additional layer of difficulty to police trying to stay out of harm’s way.
“We all carry survival gear: warm hats, big gloves,” Merideth says. “But you can’t dress so heavy in clothes that you can’t manipulate your gun.” In a city with average January lows of -17°F, that makes dressing for the job tricky.
In Kotzebue, Hughes says the constant blizzard threat makes policing particular challenging.
“We have a lot of blizzards,” Hughes says. “And on days like that, it’s hard to even get to the calls Usually when we have a blizzard, it’s high winds and snow at the same time. Some roads just kind of disappear.”
Hughes says Kotzebue’s police department is so undermanned that only one officer works at a time. So if that officer’s vehicle gets stuck in the weather, the town is without law enforcement. As such, when there’s threat of a blizzard, the department only responds to calls in absolute emergencies.
Kodiak’s department is similarly undermanned.
“It’s just one or two of us,” Sortor says. “We’re outnumbered. Compound that with the fact that you might be on a boat in a harbor at nightwhere no one can hear you scream.”
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Final Conditional Offer Of Employment
The Municipal Employment Office will contact the selected applicants to make a final conditional offer of employment. The final conditional offer of employment is based upon the successful completion of the remaining conditions of employment:
Medical examination by an MOA designated licensed physician to determine if the applicant is physically sound and free from physical defects that would adversely affect the performance of duties required by a police officer.
Satisfactory passing of a drug screen
Submission of a current copy of the applicants State of Alaska Drivers License
Submission of a current copy of his/her Department of Motor Vehicle driving record, including a driving record from previous states if the Alaska Drivers License was first issued within one year prior to application, documenting an acceptable driving history. The processing fee are the responsibility of the selected applicant.
For information on acceptable driving history, please refer to the Municipality of Anchorage Driving Conviction Guidelines.
All information from pre-employment examinations is the property of the and is confidential. Copies of any pre-employment examinations will not be provided to the applicant by the MOA or the medical provider.
Selected applicants must successfully complete these remaining conditions in order to be hired. Unsuccessful applicants may re-apply after two years from the date of the conditional offer.
Police Officer Recruitment Requirements
NOTE: This is NOT a Job Posting. It is simply information about our hiring requirements in general.
The Palmer Police Department policy on recruit hiring is based upon standards set by the Alaska Police Standards Council, the City of Palmer Municipal Code and Department Policy and Procedures. Detailed information can be found in 13 AAC 85.005-120.
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Want To Work In The Exciting Field Of Law Enforcement Consider The Wasilla Police Department
The department was created in 1993 with community support. It serves a vibrant, diverse community in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and is the retail/commercial hub.
Wasilla Police Department is housed in a state of the art facility which opened in 2020. Officers are fully outfitted with uniforms, body armor, leather gear, weapons, and numerous other tools and equipment. Basic academy is provided after hire for those without prior law enforcement experience.
The department uses Live CAD, records management system, TraCs, Microsoft 365, and several other digital technologies. Officers are issued take-home vehicles the fleet is being converted over to Chevrolet Tahoes.
Is It Hard To Become An Alaska State Trooper
Being an Alaska State Trooper makes you part of an elite law enforcement agency. This means its a lengthy process to become one. Youll need to make sure you meet a series of minimum legal and educational requirements. If youre asked to interview, youll need to travel to Alaska to take a physical fitness test.
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Assignments And Ancillary Duties
Due to the CBJs geographic isolations, the Juneau Police Department does not have the ability to easily rely on neighboring agencies for assistance. As a result, JPD strives to be as self-sufficient as possible. Here is a list and brief description of some of JPDs potential lateral assignments and ancillary duties.
Potential Lateral Assignments:
- Criminal Investigations Unit The CIU is staffed by five detectives and a sergeant. Two detectives specialize in crimes against people, two detectives specialize in crimes against property, and one detective works both people and property cases.
- Metro Drug Unit Metro Drug is staffed by two officers specialize in conducting investigations that deal with illegal narcotics. The two narcotics investigators often work closely with the detectives in the CIU.
- School Resource Officers One to two officers work with the schools to teach prevention techniques to students. School Resource Officers are DARE certified but teach classes that include Stranger Danger, Pedestrian Safety, Bicycle Safety, and many more classes. SROs try to maintain a presence in all of Juneaus Schools, which includes two high schools, two middle schools, six elementary schools, a Montessori school, and a home school network.
Potential Ancillary Duties:This list is not all inclusive and only highlights some of the major ancillary duties.
How To Become A Police Officer In Alaska
Over 1,000 law enforcement officers protect and serve Alaskas population of 737,000 people.1,2 The cost of living is high in Alaska, at 36% higher than the national average.3 However, cops are compensated well in the state, earning an average salary of $81,980.1 This starting salary coupled with the number of police officers in the state makes Alaska an ideal location for aspiring cops. Each police department in Alaska has specific standards and requirements. Below, read about statewide requirements for police officers Alaska must meet as well as specific requirements for police interested in positions in highway patrol, sheriffs offices, and major cities.
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What Does A Anchorage Police Officer Do
Individuals are quick to belittle police officers. But little do they know how much work a cop must do. Police officers undergo rigorous training to get where they are today. The obligations of a law enforcement officer mainly depend on the area in which they are based. It also depends on their specialization. Be that as it may, because of the smaller crime rates in the countryside, there is infrequently any opportunities for an individual to specialize in a specific field. Let us see some of the duties of an average police officer.
Protect North Pole Citizens
One of the major duties of a cop includes taking care of citizens. They are required to shield them from injury. To do so, they can injure or shoot a possible assailant that might cause the police or citizens harm. Therefore, they are entitled to bear weapons. They can call for backup if the situation gets worse. Occasionally, they may possibly have to work with explosives and may have to diffuse it themselves.
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