When a death happens in Alaska State Trooper jurisdiction, their job is to reach out to next of kin.
That’s where law enforcement come in. “I just open up with ‘I regret to inform you that your loved one, whatever relation it may be, has passed,’” said Sgt. Lee Bruce with the Alaska State Troopers .
If applicable, first the person’s spouse is contacted, followed by children, siblings, parents and other family, explained Lee. “We want to make sure that the family does not get the notification through Facebook or the news or anything like that.” Sometimes, however, finding next of kin can get complicated. “Sometimes the next of kin lives out of state, and so we have to do a little bit more digging,” he said, adding, “I think the longest that I’ve personally experienced is a couple weeks going through all the different information that we have about the person who has passed.”Once the right person is found, then comes the knock at the door.
Making that announcement can weigh on a trooper. Lee explained, “It’s one of the hardest jobs as a trooper honestly. You’re notifying somebody that their loved one has passed and it can take an emotional toll.”
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