Full Notification

Over the last few months, the Kodiak Police Department (KPD) has been working diligently to implement programs and adopt long-term goals that will ensure KPD has the tools and resources needed to best serve the Kodiak community. The following information provides an introduction to KPD’s current program and training efforts.

KPD Launches Kodiak C.A.R.E.

As you all know, in September of 2015, officers responded to a 911 call reporting a vehicle break-in that ultimately involved a developmentally disabled suspect. While I strongly believe the officers properly responded to that incident, the events of September 2015 highlighted the value of a program that:

1) Facilitates clear communication between KPD, social service agencies, educators, medical professionals, advocates for and in the developmentally-disabled community, and non-profit entities; and

2) Incorporates insight from these stakeholders in the development of a comprehensive approach to serving developmentally-disabled members of our community and the public at large in the very best and most effective way possible.

After discussing my goals for KPD with the administration and receiving their full support, the KPD staff initiated Kodiak C.A.R.E. (Children and Resident Encounter) Initiative. We kicked off the initiative during the Law Enforcement Torch Run. At the end of the run, KPD staff and officers engaged directly with members of the community, provided program information to Torch Run attendees, and enrolled additional participants into the program. While KPD has continued its other training and outreach efforts, the implementation and development of the program has been my primary focus this year.

Kodiak C.A.R.E. Officer Training Efforts

After meeting with an incredibly gifted and insightful team of educators, community activists, teachers, therapists, and so on, it became clear that Kodiak’s police officers would greatly benefit from education regarding the special needs community and the vast differences between the individuals generally considered to be a part of that community. In addition to these more general education goals, KPD is dedicated to providing officers the communication tools recommended by social services agencies and professional care providers as well as advocates and family members within the developmentally disabled community. To date, the Kodiak C.A.R.E. training program has included presentations and training sessions presented to all Department staff, which includes dispatchers and correctional officers and not just police officers.

In September 2016, KPD will be holding its annual "in-service" and daily "roll call" training, which will also include training developed under the Kodiak C.A.R.E. Program.

Kodiak C.A.R.E. Officer Outreach Program

In addition to the staff/officer training efforts under Kodiak C.A.R.E., I am proud to report that Hope Community Resources and I have been working diligently on a questionnaire that collects information critical to the success of the Kodiak C.A.R.E. Program and this questionnaire was distributed to people interested in participating in providing us the requested information. The questionnaires will provide KPD with incredibly valuable individual-specific information such as calming tools, potential triggers, predispositions, specific communication challenges, and caregiver contact information. This type of information can make a world of difference in preserving the safety of our officers, all members of our community, and the dignity of the individuals involved. KPD has already created a database for entering the information from the questionnaires once received by the Department. This database is easily accessed so that officers have information, at their fingertips, regarding program participants who have submitted questionnaires.

In further effort to get officers critical information regarding program participants as quickly as possible, the program team has developed identification cards that are provided to all interested program participants. These ID cards contain the most critical information regarding individuals in the program. While the program is completely voluntary, officers are trained to keep an eye out for these ID cards, which serve to notify the officer that the individual is a program participant and immediately provide the officer critical insight into the individual he or she is serving.

Officers are directed to keep a reference paper with the names, limited information, and photographs of all program participants in their vehicles while on duty. This again, is another tool, which helps the officers quickly indentify a person in the program.

Finally, program participants are given decals they may choose to place on their resident or vehicle windows. This is yet another tool to ensure that officers can identify program participants.

The program continues to grow as KPD gains new participants regularly and community organizations and members reach out to KPD to provide valuable insight and resources. Officers are already commenting on the value of the program and looking forward to upcoming program training. The administration, the officers, and I are all looking forward to celebrating the program’s success alongside Hope Community Resources and our program participants.

Chief Ronda Wallace
“Striving For Excellence…Serving The Community”