Lateral Pay:

Lateral pay ranges from almost $43 to over $53 an hour, depending on the experience and education of the applicant. Currently certified officers must have at least one year of experience in patrol from a full-service law enforcement agency and have attended a state-certified training academy with at least 650 hours of training. See the pay incentives tab for more information.
 

Note:  Applicants accepted as laterals are not required to take the written test.


Qualification Process:

1. Completed lateral entry form
2. Evidence of current (or within the past 5 years) police certification.  
3. Evidence of twelve months of patrol experience (this is often a letter from your department, a recent evalution, or something similiar).
4. Training records with description of courses (syllabus if available) taken, total of hours of academy training and subsequent training after academy.

Email above documents to dps.recruit@alaska.gov - after our review we will forward them to the Alaska Police Standards Council.  If approved, you will be waived from taking the written test and if ultimately hired will start at a higher pay rate.

In-State Laterals:

Those applicants who are currently certified by the Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC) and have one year of full-time experience at a full-service law enforcement agency will be considered for a lateral hire position with DPS. Pay is determined by how many years of similar service the applicant has prior to DPS hire. If the applicant has attended the Alaska Law Enforcement Training (ALET) academy in Sitka recently, they would not need to attend the full ALET academy again. Prior ALET graduates will likely complete DPS specific training prior to starting the Field Training Experience Program (FTEP). Depending on the applicant and their performance, FTEP may be full length or possibly abbreviated. This determination is made on a case by case basis. In-state laterals who have not attended and graduated from ALET will be evaluated to determine what training is needed.  This may include a 2-week course in Anchorage, or possibly an 8-week course in Sitka.

DPS realizes each Alaska-certified police officer comes with unique experience, training and skills and will work with each applicant to craft the appropriate course of training. DPS wants to be certain the lateral officers we hire are properly trained, equipped and supported to be successful in the field. DPS can also work with you up front to determine where you would start your career in Alaska prior to hire.

Out-of- State Laterals:

Law enforcement in rural Alaska is different than most places in the “Lower 48.” Many officers from the Lower 48 have come to Alaska expecting a similar work environment and are often surprised they don’t have the necessary skills or training to be successful here. We want to ensure lateral hires are trained and equipped to succeed and to use their past training and experience in a way that helps them thrive.

Applicants who are currently certified by their state’s police certification process (POST, *COLES, etc.), have attended a state certified training academy with at least 650 hours and have one year of full time experience at a full-service law enforcement agency will be considered for a lateral position with DPS. Pay is determined by how many years of similar service the applicant has prior to applying to AK DPS. DPS realizes that each certified police officer comes with unique experience, training and skills and will work with each applicant to assess the proper course of training. DPS wants to be certain the lateral officers we hire are properly trained, equipped and supported to be successful in the field. DPS will, on a case by case basis, work with the Alaska Police Standards Council to determine if a candidate will need to attend our full Alaska Law Enforcement Training (ALET) academy in Sitka for 18 weeks or if an abbreviated training regimen (8-week in Sitka) will be approved.

The successful applicant may need to complete field training for the entire process. We have had many lateral hires tell us, after they attended our full ALET academy, they were indeed not ready for the challenges of Alaska before the academy training; they were grateful for the opportunity to receive more training, all while being paid as a lateral state trooper. DPS will pay full lateral wages to the out-of-state lateral applicant if they attend our full ALET training academy. Every applicant is encouraged to voluntarily attend our training academy. By doing so, you will earn the respect of your academy mates, instructors, chain of command, and troopers in the field. Out-of-state laterals should be prepared mentally and physically, before they apply, to attend our 18-week training academy. The applicant will not learn if they will be “waived” from attending our full training academy until much later in the hiring process.

Military Security Forces/MP:

Soldiers who are military police, security forces, or civilians such as Department of the Army Civilian Police do not meet the definition of a lateral hire by the Alaska Police Standards Council. However, applicants with such training and experience tend to do well in our training academy, field training, and as troopers in the field. Such training and experience will be a huge benefit to the applicant. Those who fit this description are encouraged to apply as an Alaska State Trooper Recruit.

Training Records:

Often, comprehensive training records from lateral applicants cannot be obtained from past training academies, or may not be sufficient to determine if the officer was trained in a manner that meets our training standards.  If an applicant cannot obtain detailed records that document his/her past training, the applicant will be required to attend our training academy as a lateral hire. A syllabus from a past academy will be required for APSC to determine if an applicant meets their lateral requirements. However, a syllabus is not a sufficient training record that would allow us to determine if the applicant’s training is sufficient to waive our training academy. The responsibly for obtaining thorough training records is on the applicant.

Reciprocity:

The council may enter into reciprocity agreements with states that regulate or supervise the quality of police training and that require a minimum of 650 hours of classroom and practical training for police officers.

Alaska Administrative Code:

13 AAC 85.050. Basic police officer academy

13 AAC 85.060. Waiver and reciprocity