The goal of this project is to hire a communications specialist who will be key to uplifting the image of the metlakatla police department on annette islands reserve in southeast alaska

The Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services awarded $175,000 to the Metlakatla Indian Community on October 1, 2025, under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710) to support the Community Policing 180 Project at the Metlakatla Police Department on the Annette Islands Reserve in southeast Alaska.

The project will hire a communications specialist and establish a core planning team comprising representatives from the Department of Employment and Training, the Annette Islands School District, the Annette Islands Service Unit, the Metlakatla Fire Department, and community members. The team will define core values and develop a new mission statement to guide community policing goals and image. Tangible deliverables include a project work plan, a community engagement profile, a public safety branding strategy, and a final case study documenting the initiative as a model for tribal communities nationwide. Intangible outcomes include identification and prioritization of community problems, strengthened relationships between the police department and community, and establishment of a foundation for accountability, transparency, open communication, and trust.

Performance occurs in Metlakatla, Alaska, with a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. The assistance type is a project grant.

We view this project as a complete 180-degree shift from the current situation. The community policing 180 project will kickstart a chain of events that will positively impact metlakatla for generations to come. This project will serve as an exciting case study for tribal communities around the country to refer to when trying to increase the capacity of their own tribal police departments to better serve the community and improve trust among partners, community members and the department. We will form a core planning team (CPT) comprising representatives from the department of employment and training, the annette islands school district, the annette islands service unit, the metlakatla fire department, and the public. This group will define core values and help inform a new mission statement to guide metlakatla police department (MPD) community policing goals and image. Tangible deliverables for this project include a project work plan, a community engagement profile, a public safety branding strategy, and a final case study. Intangible project deliverables include the identification and prioritization of community problems, stronger relationships between MPD and the community, and a new foundation to build a strong culture of accountability, transparency, open communication, and trust.