Juneau Police Department Becomes First ABLE Agency in Alaska
In August 2026, the Juneau Police Department (JPD) became the first and only police department in Alaska to become an ABLE agency, representing another step in the department’s commitment to improving officer accountability and well-being.
ABLE — which stands for Active Bystandership of Law Enforcement — is a program from Georgetown Law’s Center for Innovations in Community Safety that promotes a culture of peer intervention within police departments. By successfully completing this program, JPD officers are trained to both identify situations that could lead to mistakes or misconduct and to deploy proven tactics to intercede.
“I have witnessed firsthand the ABLE program’s success in preventing officers from making mistakes by empowering fellow officers to intervene and support one another,” explains JPD Chief Derek Bos. “The end result is better services and stronger relationships with our community.”
JPD began the ABLE program’s application process in December 2024, which takes an average of 12 to 18 months to complete. Once accepted into the program, three JPD officers completed twenty hours of training to become instructors for the program. In August 2026, all sworn officers in the department completed an 8-hour course that utilizes scenario-based training to improve officer accountability. All police officers will complete a refresher course each year for the department to maintain ABLE status. In addition, the department has committed to maintaining policies that support officer intervention, as well as a dedicated employee wellness program.
Participation in the ABLE program is one action the department is taking to support departmental professionalism, culture and well-being. In 2024, the Juneau Police Department launched a comprehensive employee wellness program, which helps staff and their families by providing mental health resources, resiliency training, wellness check-ins, a peer support team and other wellness-related services and events.
According to Chief Bos, a key element to the ABLE program is its approach to wellness.
“By empowering officers, and professional staff, to engage with each other when they see a colleague who may be struggling, we are better able to support our team. Not only does the ABLE program empower officers to speak up when they see a potential concern, it also teaches participants to accept intervention and be responsive to better service.”
For more information about the Juneau Police Department’s participation in the ABLE program, contact Chief of Police Derek Bos at [email protected].