DPS releases first Missing Indigenous Persons Report

WASILLA — The Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Anchorage Police Department (APD) recently released the first Missing Indigenous Persons Report.

According to a press release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety, this new joint effort established a databank that offers secure data and case transparency related to all missing person cases in Alaska that are Alaska Native, American Indian, or whose race is unknown within the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) and were reported by either DPS or APD.

Law enforcement employees review records related to each investigation and sort the cases as "suspicious," "not suspicious," or "environmental."

This new program was inspired by the

the People First Initiative launched by Governor Mike Dunleavy in December of 2021, an effort focused on five policy areas that impact Alaskans including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP).

Representatives from DPS and APD offered Dunleavy recommendations related to MMIP, including, finding, “Ways to improve investigations, including data/information collection and sharing.”

"The Alaska Department of Public Safety is committed to conducting thorough investigations into all missing persons and murder investigations that occur in our area of responsibility, including those involving Alaska Natives and American Indians. We have heard the concerns of community leaders about a lack of communication related to MMIP investigations across the state, and this is a positive step towards increased transparency," Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell stated in the press release. "In addition to the Alaska State Troopers four dedicated MMIP investigators working across the state, this new report will provide Alaskans with additional clarity on the number of missing persons that are Alaska Natives, American Indians, or whose race we are not sure of. DPS will continue to lead MMIP efforts across the State of Alaska with our local law enforcement partners."

According to the press release, DPS updated the Alaska Missing Persons Clearinghouse earlier this year to include the race and sex of each missing person listed in APSIN.

This resource is open to the public and available online, giving Alaskans the opportunity to see how many people are missing statewide with data on names, investigating agencies, case numbers, and the last date of contact for every missing person in the state.

“Anchorage is a home to many Indigenous people and is also a hub to rural Alaska Native communities. A common misconception is you have to wait 24 hours to report a person missing, this is not true,” Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle stated in the press release. “You can report a person missing in Anchorage by calling 9-1-1 as soon as you discover the person has gone missing. The Anchorage Police Department takes hundreds of missing persons reports each year and every one of those are taken by an officer, investigated, and follow-up conducted by the Homicide Unit. It’s also important to notify law-enforcement if a missing person is located by family so they can be cleared from missing person status.”

DPS and APD indicated that they intend to update the Missing Indigenous Persons Report on a quarterly basis and collaborate with other local law enforcement agencies.

Questions related to specific missing persons cases should be directed to the investigating law enforcement agency.

The report is available online at: dps.alaska.gov/getmedia/116ecb70-80c3-438a-bccb-b984cc8cda99/2023-Q2-Missing-Persons-Report.pdf

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com