C Detachment

C Detachment was comprised of 60 commissioned troopers, three civilian state pilots, and 13 administrative support personnel assigned to posts located in Anchorage, Aniak, Bethel, Dillingham, Emmonak, Iliamna, King Salmon, Kodiak, Kotzebue, McGrath, Nome, Selawik, St. Mary’s, Togiak and Unalakleet. In addition, there are six (6) Court Services Officers serving the local courthouses. An additional Anchorage based CSO helped moves prisoners from outposts areas to Anchorage correctional facilities.

As of 2013, there were an estimated 75,083 people living in the 216,077 square miles of land within detachment boundaries. Fifty-seven (57) commissioned troopers and three (3) command staff officers to serve the estimated 43,242 people that rely on the Alaska State Troopers as their primary provider of public safety. This averages to one trooper for every 758 residents and 3,791 square miles of area. The logistical issues created by distance between communities and erratic weather conditions, creates challenges for C Detachment troopers.

Bethel Trooper Housing from the air

C Detachment continues to strive and make advancements in providing a state law enforcement presence in rural Alaska. Posts in C Detachment area combination of standard trooper posts with personnel living full time in communities, while other posts are staffed by personnel on a two week on/ two week off situation, living there off time in other communities in Alaska.

The community of Saint Mary's from the air

Trooper Post areas cover significant land mass. For example:
The Kotzebue Post area (including the Selawik Post) covers an area roughly the size of the state of Ohio.
The Nome Post area covers an area just smaller than the state of West Virgina (if you don’t count the distances over water to St. Lawrence Island and Little Diomede Island).
The Yukon Kuskokwim Delta (Bethel, Hooper Bay, Emmonak, St. Mary’s, and Aniak) serves an area larger than the state of Alabama.
Troopers travel to calls for service by boat, snow machine, four-wheeler, patrol vehicle and aircraft. On occasion in certain areas, troopers respond by patrol vehicle to communities by way of ice road.