Galena's Police personnel at GPD, Summer of 08 (left to right): Officer Mike O. Ervin, Chief John A. Millan, Administrative Assistant Joyelyn M. Sommer and Reserve Officer Lowell M. Carlton (GPD Chief, Ret.).
Officer Michael O. Ervin joined the Galena Police Department in July of 2008, after graduation from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Police Academy in May of that year. He was an Alaska Pipeline security supervisor with the Doyon Corporation until joining GPD. Mike is an Alaskan Native Athabascan, a former Corrections Officer with the State of Kansas and he served in the Alaska Army National Guard. He is a recipient of the US Army Combat Action Badge among other awards, for combat service in Iraq with US Army from 2004-06. He will be assigned as the School Resource Officer (SRO) at the Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA), Galena's public boarding high school located at the former Galena Air Force Base. He will also serve the Louden Tribal Council as Tribal Liaison Officer (TLO) along with providing patrol services to the City. Mike is originally from Tok and will reside in Galena with his son.
09-10 school year Intern:
The 09-10 Galena Police Intern is Miss Robin Stepetin, a 16-year old Junior and 3rd year resident student at the Galena Interior
Learning Academy (GILA). Robin is an Alaskan Native from Anchorage, originally from Akutan Alaska in the Aleutian Islands
on the Bering Sea. She is active in cheerleading and volleyball at GILA and wants to learn more about law enforcement as an
Intern. Her post-high school goal is to complete a bachelor degree in forensic science and then become an Anchorage Police officer,
with an eventual goal of becoming a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She will work two hours a day,
two to three days a week doing administrative work in the police department, complete assigned academic work and
accompany officers on patrol as an observer. Interns recieve academic credit from the school and continuing education units
(CEU's) from the Alaska Police Training Council for an elective, upon successfully completing the program. Interns are selected
based on school staff recommendations, grades, good citizenship, background, attitude and aptitude. They must conform to police
department employee policies and obey all school rules while serving as an intern.
The 2008 seasonal police administrative assistant was Miss Joyelyn M. Sommer of Galena. She worked May-August and then returned as a Junior to the University of Alaska in Anchorage. Joyelyn is the daughter of Louden Tribal Chief Chris Sommer and his wife Albertha, who reside in Galena. Her younger sister Leann was the city hall summer administrative assistant and her older sisters are emploped by the federal government. Joyelyn will continue to help as administrative assistant at the police department on a part-time basis when she is back in town from UA.
The Galena Police Department is proud to have Lowell M. Carlton
serving as a reserve officer.
Lowell is a retired 35-year law enforcement veteran from the Golden State of California, where he was a deputy sheriff assigned as a full time search and rescue specialist in the last portion of his long law enforcement career. He then served the Galena Police Department for two years as a full-time officer working primarily as the School Resource Officer at the GILA School. He then served for six months as Chief of Police until his second retirement in May of 07. Lowell elected to remain on staff as a reserve officer, filling in for Chief Millan when needed. Lowell is a Vietnam Veteran of the US Navy. He and his wife Sue are performing Missionary work in the Lower Koykuk-Middle Yukon Region through the Galena Bible Church, working with the Summer Bible Camp.
The Galena Police Department has positions for up to three auxilliary officers.
The spring semester intern at GPD was GILA senior Miss Melinda Rhuby of Tok. Melinda graduated with her pilot's license from the aviation program and she hopes to pursue missionary work in addition to pursuing her aviation endeavors.
Henry Douglas, a Native Alaskan Eskimo from Kotzbue, also an 18-year old GILA senior, was the first semester intern. Henry will also graduate in May. Henry was a member of the Galena Wrestling Team and plans to attend college in Chicago.
All student police interns must be recommended by school administration for being superior student-citizens. They then must be interviewed and approved by the Chief of Police as having good moral character, to handle sensitive and confidential information. The City Manager must also give approval.
The intern program at the police department is similar to ones at the city clinic and city administration office, which allows students to do valuable part-time work for pay, while learning about differing careers. Internships cannot interfere with scholastic requirements. Interns must continue to pass all classes and be willing to work on weekends and holidays.
Interns are paid an hourly wage, working up to 24 hours per 7-day week. This frees up sworn personnel by doing paperwork, submitting court records, processing files, helping with inventories, taking phone messages, assisting in maintaining equipment and performing other appropriate duties as designated by the department head.
Police interns ride along on patrol, they may be present at low-risk calls and they are available as a witness in court, if needed.
