Recently, for the first time since living in the U.S., I had to make a non-emergency report with the Alaska State Troopers.
I had never done anything like this before, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out where to report it, whether I could file a report online, and what the process would look like. I couldn’t find much information from someone who had actually gone through the process, so I decided to document my experience here.
Hopefully, this will be helpful to someone in Alaska who finds themselves in a similar situation.
Note: This is simply my personal experience, not legal advice. The process may be different depending on the circumstances, location, or type of incident.
Why I Wanted to Make a Report
My purpose wasn’t to have anyone arrested or punished.
Someone had entered my private property without permission, and I wanted to have an official record of what happened in case something similar happened again.
Before contacting law enforcement, though, I first tried to address the situation directly.
I wrote a notice clearly stating that the person should not enter my property again without permission.
Sending a Written Notice by USPS Certified Mail
I sent the written notice through USPS Certified Mail because I wanted to have a record of sending it.
With Certified Mail, I could track when the letter was sent and follow its delivery status through USPS Tracking.
But the letter was never claimed.
After about three weeks, the tracking status showed “Unclaimed,” and eventually the letter was returned to me as “Return to Sender.”
At that point, I wasn’t sure what my next step should be.
Trying to File a Report Online
Next, I used the Alaska State Troopers’ online reporting system to submit a trespassing report.
Shortly afterward, I received an email explaining that my report couldn’t be handled through the online system because I knew who the person was.
The case involved a “known suspect.”
The email instructed me to contact Fairbanks Dispatch instead.
This was one of the things I hadn’t been able to figure out when I was searching beforehand: if you know the person involved, the online reporting process may not be the right route for your situation.
Calling Fairbanks Dispatch
I’ll admit I was nervous about making the call because I had never reported anything like this before.
But the dispatcher was very kind, and the call was much simpler than I expected.
I was asked for basic information such as my name, contact information, the date of the incident, what had happened, and whether I knew the person involved.
Then I was told that a Trooper would call me back.
Talking With the Trooper
When the Trooper called, I explained everything again from the beginning.
It helped that I had already organized the information and documentation I had.
I explained the date of the incident and told him about the CCTV footage, text messages, the written notice I had prepared, the Certified Mail tracking, and the letter that had been returned to me.
I also explained that I wasn’t asking for the other person to be arrested or punished.
What I wanted was an official record of the incident in case something similar happened again.
The Part I Didn’t Expect
I assumed that the Trooper would simply document what happened and that would be the end of it.
Instead, after listening to the situation, he said:
“I’ll give her a call.”
He told me he would contact the person and let her know that she should not come onto my property without permission or an invitation.
I hadn’t expected that.
I had called mainly because I wanted the incident documented, so I was surprised that the Trooper was also willing to contact the person directly.
What I Learned From the Process
One of the biggest things I learned was that being unable to complete an online report doesn’t necessarily mean the process stops there.
In my case, because the person involved was known to me, I was directed to Fairbanks Dispatch instead. From there, I was able to explain the situation directly and speak with a Trooper.
Having everything organized beforehand also made the conversation much easier.
I had the dates, CCTV footage, messages, Certified Mail tracking information, and returned letter available, so I could explain what happened in order instead of trying to remember everything during the call.
Why I Ultimately Decided to Report It
This wasn’t the first time something similar had happened.
There are personal details I don’t want to share publicly, but after dealing with similar situations more than once, I decided I wanted this incident officially documented.
My thinking was simple: if something like this happens again, I don’t want to be starting from the beginning.
I hope I never need that record.
But I’m glad I now understand the process a little better.
If you’re in Alaska and trying to figure out how to make a non-emergency report, your situation may be handled differently from mine. But if you’ve been searching online and aren’t sure where to start, I hope my experience at least gives you an idea of what the process can look like.
Yenee’s Zip. 
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