Alaska has the fastest rising opioid overdose rate in the nation. In many Alaska communities, village public safety officers are often the first to respond to an overdose situation.
Jason Wilson runs the public safety department for the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida. He said VPSOs are the definition of first responders.
The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida runs the VPSO program for the Southeast Alaska communities of Kake, Angoon, Pelican, Saxman, Hydaburg, Thorne Bay and Kasaan. They’re not just learning how to treat a health emergency, they’re also learning how to police narcotics. One of the instructors Central Council brought in was Chris Cuestas, a former police detective and a national drug expert.
“The challenge is how do we minimize their influence in communities and villages in Alaska,” he said.
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