Kusilvak Census Area Recent Bookings
Kusilvak Census Area, formerly known as Wade Hampton Census Area, covers a vast stretch of western Alaska along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. There are no municipal police departments here. Recent bookings in this area are handled entirely by Alaska State Troopers and Village Public Safety Officers working with the AST Bethel Post. This page covers how to find booking records, search active warrants, check inmate status, and access court filings for this region.
Kusilvak Census Area Overview
Kusilvak Recent Bookings - Where to Start
Finding recent bookings in Kusilvak is different from urban Alaska. There are no city police databases, no local jail rosters, and no daily bulletins posted online by local agencies. All law enforcement in this census area runs through the Alaska State Troopers and Village Public Safety Officers coordinated by the Association of Village Council Presidents.
The best starting point for recent bookings is the AST Daily Dispatch. Filter results by C Detachment, which covers the Bethel-area region including Kusilvak villages. Each entry shows date, location, nature of call, and outcome. Arrests will show up in dispatch logs before they appear anywhere else publicly.
For cases that have reached the charging stage, the Criminal Charges Filed report lists new filings statewide and is updated at 9 PM nightly. Kusilvak cases are heard at the Bethel Trial Court, so look for Bethel-area entries. The CourtView portal lets you search by name for all Alaska court records, including those from the Fourth Judicial District serving this region.
Alaska State Troopers - Bethel Post
The AST Bethel Post is the sole formal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over Kusilvak Census Area. It is part of C Detachment, which covers a broad swath of western and central Alaska. All felony investigations and most criminal arrests in Kusilvak villages ultimately involve troopers from this post.
| AST Bethel Phone | (907) 543-2294 |
|---|---|
| Address | 1300 Akiak Drive, Bethel, AK 99559 |
Because villages in Kusilvak are spread across a large, roadless region, troopers often respond by small plane or boat. Response times to remote villages can be long. In many communities, Village Public Safety Officers serve as the first contact for law enforcement before troopers arrive. This structure means booking and formal arrest processing is often delayed compared to urban Alaska.
To request records of arrests handled by AST in Kusilvak, submit a formal written request citing AS 40.25.100 to the AST Records Section in Anchorage. Include the subject name, date of incident, location, and any case number if known. Processing times vary and requests involving active cases may be deferred until the matter is closed.
Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs)
VPSOs are the primary day-to-day law enforcement presence in Kusilvak villages. They are not sworn law enforcement officers with full arrest powers like AST, but they serve as first responders for calls for service, domestic disturbances, and public order situations. They work closely with AST and can detain individuals until troopers arrive.
VPSO programs in this region are coordinated by the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP). AVCP also provides victim services and public safety support to member communities across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
The image below shows the AVCP website, which lists VPSO program contacts and village public safety resources for the region.
Access VPSO program information and regional contacts at the Association of Village Council Presidents website.
AVCP's main Bethel office can be reached at (907) 543-7300.
VPSO records are typically held at the village level and not centralized in a public database. For incidents involving a VPSO response in a specific village, contacting the village tribal council or AVCP directly is often the most effective approach. VPSO reports that result in AST involvement will eventually appear in the AST records system and, if charges are filed, in CourtView.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center (YKCC) in Bethel is the primary holding facility for Kusilvak Census Area arrestees. It is the closest DOC facility to the villages in this region. Most people arrested in Kusilvak are transported to YKCC. For serious felony cases or when YKCC is at capacity, inmates may be transported to the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
| YKCC Phone | (907) 543-5245 |
|---|---|
| Address | 1000 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, Bethel, AK 99559 |
| VINE Phone | 1-800-247-9763 |
To check if someone is in custody at YKCC or any Alaska DOC facility, use the VINE inmate search system. VINE is free, available 24 hours a day, and lets you search by name or offender ID. You can also register for custody change notifications by phone or email. New bookings may take several hours to appear in VINE. For same-day status checks, call the facility directly.
Keep in mind that transportation from remote Kusilvak villages to YKCC can take time depending on weather and available aircraft. A person may be detained in a village holding area for a short period before transport. VINE will not show a booking until the person physically arrives at a DOC facility.
Note: If YKCC is full or a case is serious enough, inmates from Kusilvak may be transferred to the Anchorage Correctional Complex. Always check VINE or call DOC at (907) 269-7400 if a YKCC search returns no results.
Bethel Trial Court and Regional Court Access
The Bethel Trial Court serves Kusilvak Census Area and the broader Fourth Judicial District. All criminal charges arising from Kusilvak arrests are filed in Bethel. The court handles both Superior and District Court matters. There is no courthouse within Kusilvak itself.
| Bethel Court Phone | (907) 543-1105 |
|---|---|
| Address | 204 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, Bethel, AK 99559 |
For remote villages, court proceedings may be held via video conference rather than in person. Village circuit travel by judges is less common than it once was. Most case records from Kusilvak show Bethel as the court location in CourtView.
Use CourtView to search for specific cases by name. The system is free and covers all Alaska courts, including Bethel. Case records show charges, arraignment dates, hearing schedules, and disposition. Under AS 12.62, court filings are generally public once entered into the system, with exceptions for juvenile cases and sealed matters.
Active Warrants and Statewide Tools
Active warrants for people in or from Kusilvak Census Area are listed in the statewide database at hotsheets.dps.alaska.gov. This database updates daily and is searchable by name. It covers warrants from AST as well as other agencies statewide.
The Alaska Sex Offender Registry is searchable by name, address, or ZIP code and is free to access. Registered offenders in Kusilvak villages will appear in the registry. The DPS background check portal offers name-based criminal history checks for $20 and fingerprint-based checks for $35. For older historical records, the Alaska State Archives holds pre-digital records from the region.
The Public Records Guidelines published by the Alaska Department of Law at law.alaska.gov explain your rights when requesting government records. If an agency denies your request, those guidelines outline the appeal process available under state law.
Nearby Areas
These neighboring census areas have their own recent bookings pages with local law enforcement contacts.