DPS tribal liaison details outreach, cultural training and 'AK Tips' for rural communities

Darlene Dye, tribal liaison for the Alaska State Troopers, told the House Tribal Affairs Committee on March 19 that her office is focused on building government‑to‑government relationships, listening to communities and providing follow‑up support after enforcement actions.

"A lot of my work comes from listening to the communities, learning from them, and then communicating that information back and forth," Dye said, describing visits to Job Corps Centers (where troopers and youth assembled roughly 500 Narcan kits), Faith in Blue events, and community listening sessions in villages such as Hooper Bay and Tuxuk Bay.

Dye highlighted the AK Tips anonymous reporting tool and outreach materials distributed to elders and rural residents: she said the department has expanded the size and visibility of AK Tips cards for elders and distributes QR codes and materials on trooper visits and prevention programs. She also described the Tribal Affairs Office established under the commissioner and ongoing cultural‑awareness training for troopers in partnership with the Alaska Police Standards Council.

On protective orders, Dye explained how "full faith and credit" and voluntary information‑exchange agreements allow tribal protective orders to be enforced like state orders when an agreement is in place, helping law enforcement act more efficiently across jurisdictions.

The tribal liaison described community partnerships, including donated materials sent to regional organizations (fabric for cultural projects distributed through the Tanana Chiefs Conference, Dillingham City School District and other groups) and joint programming with VPSO staff and local first responders. Dye said the office has held monthly statewide tribal liaison working groups and coordinates training and outreach across agencies.

Committee members pressed for details about how training completion will be tracked; Commissioner Cockrell said the Alaska Police Standards Council will be used to catalog and verify cultural training records. Dye and the department told the committee they will continue to provide in‑person and online training options and to expand youth outreach to help recruit local candidates into public‑safety careers.

Members thanked Dye for the outreach work and asked for continued coordination between DPS and tribal stakeholders. The committee did not take formal action on the presentation.