WINTER 2007-2008 THE DPS QUARTERLY ALASKA The DPS WELCOMEQuarterly A Department of Public Safety publication WINTER 2007-2008 Inside Stories AWT photos from the field Page 32 Baby boom Page 40 Statewide VPSO Training Page 4 Vrabec DPS SysAdmin carries wins award torch Page 38 in China Page 3 1 1 THE DPS QUARTERLY WINTER 2007-2008 4 what's in AST unveils strategic Compass By Col. Audie Holloway the quarterly Director of Alaska State Troopers A ST has recently everyone of our responsibilities. It advertises the Vrabec carries torch unveiled our 10-year Strategic values that we hold dear. It notifies the audience of in China Page 3 Compass, now posted on the our intentions. It spotlights our goals. It explains VPSOs conduct annual DPS Website. Please take the the mechanisms we will use to reach those goals. training Page 5 time to review it. It will be the It describes the benefits received if those goals Red Ribbon week Page 7 AST roadmap for the next 10 are accomplished and by default it indicates Sucessful bids Page 8 years. The next project, which what the repercussions are if the goals are not Fond farewells Page 8 is already in progress, is the accomplished. Academy News Page 9 first of the two 5-year Strategic Services Plans. Specifically, AST becomes more familiar Judicial Services Page 11 When we are finished with this, we will begin to the public we serve, the legislature that tasks Colonel's new secretary to prepare annual operating plans. Each level of us and provides funding, the media that reports Page 12 the different plans – starting with the 10, then 5 on our actions or inactions, the governor and Amber Alert Page 13 and finally annual – becomes more explicit and commissioner that directs us and the other criminal Canines update Page 14 more defined. The 10-year Strategic justice agencies that partner ABI Page 14 Compass is written very broadly with us. By building a plan A Detachment Page 16 because it extends out so far in time. like this, AST also seeks to B Detachment Page 18 The 10-year Strategic Compass protect our main missions by C Detachment Page 23 has actually been completed for creating a greater distance D Detachment Page 26 approximately two months. However, from political interference and E Detachment Page 27 we are just now able to proceed as squeaky wheel issues. This Alaska Wildlife Troopers we wanted the endorsement of the type of planning will take us Page 31 Commissioner and we wanted to across political terms because Division of Fire and Life make sure that the governor was at least ninety percent of Safety Page 35 conceptually supportive of strategic our work remains the same Division of Statewide planning. Although this is an “AST regardless of political Services Page 37 only” document, that basically just changes. This was also Division of Administrative means that AST is responsible for the written in such a way that Services Page 39 conception, the construction and the a change in the head shed In Other News Page 39 deliverables of the compass. We control should not make significant it. It is our document. We can share it. changes in our compass. Obviously, the mere act of writing a plan does As you read through it, you will see that not guarantee success. AST does not stand alone we have set some very ambitious goals. Any in the criminal justice system. We need to let our worthwhile goal should be hard to reach. Easy partners and our supporters know what we want goals do not produce the same benefits. Every step to do. Then we need to prove to them that we are along the path following our compass makes us a serious and consistently faithful to our plan. When better organization regardless of how long it takes AST demonstrates inner commitment, then we for us to reach our goals. Just remember that this will gain commitment from outside the agency. is a struggle like any other and as in any fight, we Statistically, adherence to a plan is a more probable never, never, never give up. guarantee of successful outcomes. Remember the on the cover: adage, “failing to plan is akin to planning to fail.” Icebergs dot the the In general, the reasons for having a strategic LeConte Bay located compass are several and varied. It gives notice across the Frederick of the vision we have of our agency. It reminds Sound from Petersburg. photos needed Please notice that AST has placed a great deal daily actions, so please be on the lookout for those of emphasis in the 10-year Strategic Compass on outstanding photo opportunities. succession planning for leadership, employee That photo of you or one of your fellow training and professionalism, working conditions employees could represent AST in a visual fashion and employee retention. Also, the intent is to cycle on our Strategic Compass and other publications. out the photos that are currently displayed in the Please email photos to elizabeth.ipsen@ document to highlight all employees and their alaska.gov. 2 WINTER 2007-2008 THE DPS QUARTERLY vrabec carries torch in China By Terry Vrabec Executive Director, Alaska Police Standards Council Each May, Law Enforcement Torch Runs weave through different towns, states and providences around the world to help raise money for Special Olympics. That effort culminates in the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg leading up to the Special Olympics World Summer Games every two years. I was one of over 100 people from law enforcement ranks all over the world participating in the Final Leg starting with a Flame Arrival Ceremony in Beijing on Sept. 25. The runners were then broken down into 11 smaller teams and sent out to various different cities to get the torch to the Opening Ceremonies. Our job was to not only promote the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, but to offer encouragement to the Olympians and to proudly represent international law enforcement agencies. The Flame Lighting Ceremony took Alaska Police Standards Council Executive Director Terry Vrabec leads his team in the Law place on June 29 in Athens, Greece, the Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg run through the streets of the Xi’an before the start of birthplace of the Olympic Games. The “Flame the Special Olympics World Summer Games in China. of Hope” as it’s called, arrived in Beijing on “best of the best” and go through a stringent Olympian and to assist with anything needed Sept. 25 and traveled throughout China selection process. Most have been medalists during the event. It was an honor and he before reaching the opening ceremonies in at a world games event but choose to be part became a good pal. Shanghai on Oct. 2. of the Torch Run during the Final Leg. After we arrived in China, our whole I was a member of Team 2. Each team Our Special Olympian was Australian group made a few appearances in Beijing, was accompanied by a Chinese Police basketball player Leigh Madgwick. He did a flame arrival ceremony, ate our Officer that stayed with us and one Special was also my roommate. I was tasked with Kentucky Fried Chicken sandwiches, ran up Olympic Athlete. These athletes are the making sure things went well for the Special the Great Wall at 10 p.m. and then broke up into our own teams. We all ended up flying out to different parts of the country. Our team went to the “suburban” area of Xi’an (pronounced “she ann”). This beautiful city is surrounded by a wall built many years ago for protection. Other teams made appearances in Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Harbin, Dalian, Jiaxing and Wenzhou. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the police commander of the region, given flowers, shuttled around with police escorts throughout the airport, highways and to and from our hotel every day. For the next several days we would drive to various cities. Teams went to a staging spot in our respective areas where we did a torch run into an area to a set location More than 100 others participating in the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg leading and then participate in a ceremony. Our up to the Special Olympics World Summer Games ran up this part of the Great Wall of China the evening after the flame arrival ceremony in Beijing. (Torch, continued on page 4) 2 3 THE DPS QUARTERLY WINTER 2007-2008 Torch, continued from page 3 Team 2 poses with Alaskan delegates DPS Commissioner Walt Monegan (front left), CEO of Special Olympics Alaska Jim Balamaci (next to Monegan); Speaker of the House Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez and his wife, Nicole (far right) at the U.S. Embassy in Shanghai. Team 2 runs in a parade in the streets of the Xi’an during the Alaska Police Standards Council Executive DirectorTerry Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg. Special Olympian, Vrabec, second from left, stands with other team members Australian basketball player Leigh Madgwick, is pictured during a ceremony in Xi’an. running on the far right. team would be up front, with the athlete, followed by the Chinese up with DPS Commissioner Walt Monegan and his wife, Terry, the police officers in the area, academy cadets, firefighters, SWAT team CEO of Special Olympics Alaska Jim Balamaci; Alaska Speaker members and finally volunteers that joined in. There were thousands of the House Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez; his wife, Nicole; and of of people that just showed up to watch.