Performance Details

Department of Public Safety - Alaska Police Standards Council

• Return to Departments
• Alaska Police Standards Council website

Mission

To produce and maintain highly trained and positively motivated professional officers, capable of meeting contemporary law enforcement standards of performance.

Core Services

• Provide academy, in-service, and advanced training for police, corrections, probation, parole, and municipal correctional officers.
• Ensure compliance with APSC minimum qualification regulations.

Mission Results

Core Services

A: Professionalism among police, corrections, probation, parole, and municipal correctional officers.  Details >

A1: Provide academy, in-service, and advanced training for police, corrections, probation, parole, and municipal correctional officers.  Details > TARGET #1: 5% increase over the previous year in the number of officers certified as having met training requirements. TARGET #2: 5% increase over the previous year in the number of hours of advanced training of officers received through APSC sponsorship. A2: Ensure compliance with APSC minimum qualification regulations.  Details > TARGET #1: Process all misconduct investigations as required by the Administrative Procedures Act.

Performance Detail

Target #1: 5% increase over the previous year in the number of officers certified as having met training requirements. Number of Law Enforcement Officers Earning Basic Certification Fiscal Year YTD Total Percent Inc/Dec FY 2021 180 -11.76% -12% FY 2020 204 -14.29% -14% FY 2019 238 +32.96% 33% FY 2018 179 +11.18% 11% FY 2017 161 -30.3% -30% FY 2016 231 -10.47% -10% FY 2015 258 +6.61% 7% FY 2014 242 +84.73% 85% FY 2013 131 +2.34% 2% FY 2012 128 +18.52% 19% FY 2011 108 -45% Analysis of results and challenges: In prior years, APSC reported the number of officers sponsored to attend basic academy training. Currently, APSC is reporting the number of officers who successfully completed all basic training and received their initial certification, attesting they have met all requirements. This metric is more applicable to the goal of measuring that officers certified by APSC have met training requirements. While APSC certifies trained officers, the number of officers hired and sent to training is totally dependent upon the state and local agencies that hire the employees. These numbers reflect all officers within APSC's authority, including: Police, Village Police, Corrections, Probation & Parole, and Municipal Corrections officers. These number do not take into consideration certifications issued for levels of advanced certification beyond the basic, or first level.

Target #2: 5% increase over the previous year in the number of hours of advanced training of officers received through APSC sponsorship. Number of Sponsored Officer Hours of Advanced and Inservice Training Fiscal Year YTD Total Percent Inc/Dec FY 2021 19,248 +237.98% FY 2020 5,695 +38.3% 38% FY 2019 4,118 0% 0% FY 2018 0 -100% -100% FY 2017 13,303 -30.16% -30% FY 2016 19,047 +0.73% 1% FY 2015 18,909 +23.39% 23% FY 2014 15,324 +3.28% 3% Analysis of results and challenges: Until FY2018, APSC sponsored municipal police and corrections officers' attendance at the basic police or municipal corrections academy. Numbers previously reported were for the number of students sponsored by APSC. Beginning with FY2019, the legislature expressed its intent that APSC's Police Training Fund NOT be used for sponsoring basic officer training; instead, the legislature directed these costs should be borne by municipal agencies. Since FY2019, no officer has been sponsored by APSC to attend a basic academy, rendering this metric obsolete; instead APSC has focused its efforts on sponsoring more advanced and in-service training to help enhance the skills of the workforce and profession. APSC has modified the Core Service Target to report the number of officer-hours of advanced and in-service training sponsored by APSC. There was no advanced in-service training for experienced officers in FY2018, due to declining collections of police training surcharge funds. In FY2019, APSC sponsored ten training events that reached 165 officers and delivered 4,118 hours of advanced in-service training. FY2020 training schedules were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in the cancellation of nearly every training event pre-scheduled after February 2020. Nevertheless, APSC sponsored 257 officers' attendance in 16 training events and delivered 5695 officer-hours of training in FY2020. The significant increase in advanced and in-service training hours for FY2021 shows a "rebound" effect from FY2019 and FY2020 when training opportunities were significantly impacted by COVID travel and in-person gathering restrictions.

Target #1: Process all misconduct investigations as required by the Administrative Procedures Act. Percentage of Internal Investigations Closed Fiscal Year Investigations opened Investigations closed Percent closed FY 2021 36 -21.74% 39 0% 108% FY 2020 46 +53.33% 39 +39.29% 85% FY 2019 30 -31.82% 28 -20% 93% FY 2018 44 +41.94% 35 -22.22% 80% FY 2017 31 -24.39% 45 +7.14% 135% FY 2016 41 +86.36% 42 +50% 102% FY 2015 22 -29.03% 28 +21.74% 127% FY 2014 31 +47.62% 23 0% 74% FY 2013 21 0% 23 +109.09% 110% FY 2012 21 +10.53% 11 0% 52% FY 2011 19 -48.65% 11 -65.63% 58% FY 2010 37 -2.63% 32 -25.58% 87% FY 2009 38 -5% 43 +4.88% 113% FY 2008 40 -9.09% 41 +7.89% 102% FY 2007 44 +41.94% 38 +52% 86% FY 2006 31 25 81% Analysis of results and challenges: To fully resolve any compliance issues, all misconduct investigations are completed as soon as possible. When misconduct is substantiated, administrative action begins and can sometimes take several years to resolve, frequently resulting in the revocation or surrender of an officer's certificate. When misconduct is not determined to be disqualifying, the case is closed immediately with no further action taken by Alaska Police Standards Council. During FY2021, the council opened 36 new misconduct or disqualification investigations or cases and closed 39 cases. Four cases were resolved in FY2021 with a revocation or disqualification action. As of September 3, 2021, APSC has 25 ongoing cases. These cases are in various stages of investigation or administrative action (i.e., pending criminal convictions, discovery, court hearings, council action, and/or superior court appeals). The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the continuation of many adjudicatory cases that would normally have been resolved more quickly; APSC currently has 2 open cases pending hearings with the Office of Administrative Hearings. The number of closed investigations reported includes cases that were closed during FY2021, regardless of when they were initiated.

Current as of December 2, 2021