Alaska Strategic Traffic Enforcement Partnership (ASTEP)

ASTEP was created to reduce deaths and injuries caused by impaired drivers and to increase compliance with Alaska’s primary seat belt law. ASTEP’s strategy is to place extra enforcement in areas where it is needed the most to remove drunk or impaired drivers from Alaska’s roads by using a combination of law enforcement and traffic crash data. Alaska's traffic fatalities have declined from 73 in 2005 to 57 in 2010; traffic non-fatal injuries have declined from 5,974 in 2005 to 4,642 in 2008; and the overall observed seatbelt use has increased from 78.4% in 2005 to 86.8% in 2010.

Alaska signed an agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) July 1, 2005 to become one of 15 states with a Strategic Traffic Enforcement Partnership (ASTEP) Program to reduce deaths and injuries caused by impaired drivers and to increase compliance with Alaska’s primary seat belt law. The pilot program was originally a 10-month effort which was comprised of both Alaska State Trooper Detachments and Local Police Departments who participated in saturation patrols, which occurred on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout each month.

2011 Annual ASTEP Summit

The sixth annual Alaska Strategic Traffic Enforcement Partnership (ASTEP) Summit was held on April 27-29, 2011 at the Westmark Anchorage Hotel in downtown Anchorage. The annual event provides state and local law enforcement agencies an opportunity to share ideas for promoting and enforcing traffic safety laws in Alaska.

View brochure (1 MB)

Sergeant Gary Yamamoto started his law enforcement career in Lewiston, Idaho in 1986 as a reserve officer for the city.  He was hired as a deputy sheriff in 1988, and moved to Alaska to work as a police officer for the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1992.  In 1993, Gary was hired by the Fairbanks Police Department as a police officer where he later became a Field Training Officer, part of the Serious Traffic Collision Team, a Breath Test Supervisor, Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspector, Firearms Instructor and SFST instructor.  In 2005, Gary was promoted to Sergeant and currently works swing-shift with his focus on supervising his shifts, but is still able to get out, take calls for service, write citations and arrest impaired drivers. Gary married his high school sweetheart, Patty, in 1978 and together they raised three children, who are now grown with families of their own.  Currently, they have five grandchildren all in the Fairbanks area.

Officer Allen Brandt graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2004.  Officer Brandt was a member of Police Corps and attended the Washington State Criminal Justice Academy before beginning employment with the Fairbanks Police Department on March 1st, 2005.  Officer Brandt has served as a member of the Fairbanks Police Department Traffic Unit since April 2008.

Officer Thomas Gaulke has been employed with the Anchorage Police Department since March 1995 (16 years).  He has spent the majority of his career as a dedicated patrol officer and has been in the traffic unit three times during the beginning of his career with APD (1996-1997), (2006-2007), and (2010- present). Officer Gaulke is a graduate of Bartlett High School and has degrees from the University of Alaska Anchorage (AA) and Chapman University (BA).

Officer McBroom’s involvement with in Law Enforcement began in 2003 when he was appointed as the Chaplain for the Fairbanks Police Department. In an attempt to better minister to police officers, he put himself through the TVC Law Enforcement Academy in Fairbanks, Alaska in the fall of 2007. During that time, he learned about the Reserve Officer Program at the North Pole Police Department. After graduation, he began volunteering his time as a Reserve Officer. While staying active in the ministry, he accepted a full time position with the North Pole Police Department as a Patrol Officer a few months later. In December 2008, he was selected to a 3 year assignment as the DUI/Traffic Enforcement Officer, with his primary focus being DUI Enforcement, Occupant Protection, Speed Enforcement and Public Education.  He was trained in Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement in 2009 and became a Drug Recognition Expert in February 2011. Officer McBroom continues to be involved with teaching DUI Enforcement and Drug Impaired Driving at the TVC Law Enforcement Academy and became a DUI/SFST Instructor in 2010. Officer Phil McBroom became a Baptist minister in his late teens and was employed full time on the pastoral staff at a Baptist church in North Pole for nearly 7 years. During that time, he earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Great Plains Baptist College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Officer Marvin Towell began his employment with the City of Soldotna on September 28, 1998. He supervised the Patrol Division until March 3, 2000, when he was transferred to Administrative Services. Prior to coming to Soldotna, all of Officer Towell's police experience (not including military police) was in the State of Arizona. He started in 1975 in Pinal County Sheriff's Office as a Deputy Sheriff, patrolling the desert! After 2 years, he was hired by Coolidge City Police Department. He was promoted to Sergeant after 2 years. After 3 years at Coolidge PD, he relocated to Willcox, AZ and was hired by Wilcox PD as a Patrol Officer. In 1983 he was promoted to Sergeant and in 1987 he was promoted to Lieutenant. In 1989 he was hired by Parker Police Department as their Chief of Police. In 1996 he was hired by LaPaz County Sheriff's Office as their Emergency Services Director and Environmental Crimes Enforcement Officer. Officer Towell is a graduate of the 181st Session of the FBI National Academy (1995) and is a current member of the FBI National Academy Associates, Alaska Chapter. He is a former member of the IACP and Arizona Chiefs of Police Association. In 1985, he graduated from Cochise College at Douglas, Arizona majoring in Criminal Justice.  In December 2002, Officer Towell received his Bachelor's in Criminal Justice from Almeda College and University in Boise , Idaho. Officer Towell is currently assigned to the Soldotna Patrol Division.

 

2007-2011 ASTEP Awards

2007
Fairbanks PD	Officer Allen D. Brandt	Seatbelt Citations	107
Alaska State Troopers	Patrol Sgt. David L. DeCoeur	Seatbelt Citations	158
Homer PD	Officer Cory C. Rupe	DUI Arrests	35
Alaska State Troopers	Patrol Trooper Scott D. Sands	DUI Arrests	66
2008
Anchorage PD	Officer Craig Evans	Seatbelt Citations	553
Fairbanks PD	Patrol Officer Allen D. Brandt	Seatbelt Citations	282
Wasilla PD	Officer Don Ridge	DUI Arrests	39
Alaska State Troopers	Patrol Trooper Scott D. Sands	DUI Arrests	121
2009
Soldotna PD	Officer Marvin D. Towell	Seatbelt Citations	359
Anchorage PD	Patrol Officer Craig A. Evans	Seatbelt Citations	354
Anchorage PD	Officer Derek W. Sitz	DUI Arrests	138
Anchorage PD	Patrol Officer Steve D. Faagau	DUI Arrests	88
2010
Anchorage PD	Officer Charles Reynolds	Seatbelt Citations	209
Fairbanks PD	Patrol Officer Allen D. Brandt	Seatbelt Citations	580
Fairbanks PD	Officer Ron J. Dupee	DUI Arrests	73
Anchorage PD	Patrol Officer Steve D. Faagau	DUI Arrests	196
2011
Fairbanks PD	Sergeant Gary Yamamoto	Seatbelt Citations	92
Fairbanks PD	Patrol Officer Allen D. Brandt	Seatbelt Citations	716
Anchorage PD	Officer Thomas Gaulke	DUI Arrests	188
North Pole PD	Patrol Officer Phil McBroom	DUI Arrests	80

 

ASTEP Participating Agencies

Alaska State Troopers Anchorage Police Dept. Dillingham Police Dept Fairbanks Police Dept. Homer Police Dept. University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Dept.

Houston Police Dept. Juneau Police Dept. Kenai Police Dept. Seward Police Dept. Sitka Police Dept. Palmer Police Dept.

Soldotna Police Dept. Unalaska Dept. of Public Safety Wasilla Police Dept. North Pole Police Dept.

 

Statistics

SES Alaska Report - March 2006 (152 KB)