(ALASKA) – This past week, “Operation (RAAVEN)” Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement continued efforts in response to Attorney General William P. Barr’s declaration of a law enforcement emergency in rural Alaska. Federal, state and local law enforcement officers worked together in Bethel, Emmonak, Alakanuk, Nunam Iqua, Kotlik, Marshall and Russian Mission to account for registered sex offenders and to locate and arrest individuals with warrants who were living in rural western Alaska villages. Participating in this joint operation (July 22-26) were the U.S. Marshals Service, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Department of Corrections-Adult Probation, Alaska Public Safety-Sex Offender Registry, Village Police Officers, Village Public Safety Officers, and Tribal Police Officers.
This multi-jurisdiction law enforcement team arrested individuals with outstanding warrants, conducted sex offender compliance checks, re-registered or arrested non-compliant sex offenders, conducted investigations, requested warrants when necessary, assisted with general calls for law enforcement service, as-well-as updated photographs and documentation for the Alaska SOR. The intent of this on-going operation is to verify that the area’s sex offenders are living where they are reporting to the Alaska SOR, arrest anyone who is non-compliant with their sex offender registration requirements or a fugitive with warrants. The successful operation netted the following results:
- 32 Compliance verifications were conducted on convicted sex offenders.
- 26 Convicted sex offenders were confirmed to be living where they have reported to the Alaska SOR.
- 2 Convicted sex offenders were non-compliant with registration requirements and were re-registered.
- 3 State failure to register as a sex offender warrants to be requested from the State of Alaska.
- 1 Non-compliant sex offender arrested for felony failure to register.
- 12 Additional subjects were arrested on warrants, including charges of felony failure to register as a sex offender, sex assault of a minor, felony and misdemeanor assault, probation violation, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and failure to remand for sentence for domestic violence assault with a weapon.
These joint efforts by the USMS and their law enforcement partners will continue in rural Alaska communities to verify that registered sex offenders are held accountable and that other, violent, fugitives are taken into custody to enhance the public safety of this area.
