Unalaska Recent Arrests
Recent arrests in Unalaska are handled by the Unalaska Police Department, which serves this remote Aleutian Islands city approximately 800 miles southwest of Anchorage. This page covers how to access Unalaska arrest records, look up current inmates, and find court case data.
Unalaska Overview
Unalaska Police Department Arrest Records
The Unalaska Police Department handles law enforcement for the city. UPD is at 29 Safety Way, PO Box 370, Unalaska, AK 99685. The main contact number is (907) 581-1233. Email for dispatch and general contact is dispatch@unalaska.gov. The city's official website is at unalaska.gov. Public information requests for UPD, including recent arrests, are handled through the department at the same contact information.
The City of Unalaska also maintains a public information page for UPD records requests at unalaska.gov/publicsafety/page/upd-public-information-requests. This page explains the process for submitting a public records request related to police activity, including recent arrests. Alaska's public records law under AS 40.25.110 applies to all UPD records. Arrest records are public, though active investigations and certain sensitive categories may be withheld temporarily under AS 40.25.120.
Unalaska is also known as Dutch Harbor, one of the busiest commercial fishing ports in the United States. The active fishing and processing industry means the city has a sizable transient workforce that can affect the volume and nature of law enforcement calls. Recent arrests may involve residents, workers on fishing vessels, or cannery employees. The originating agency for city arrests is UPD. For incidents involving vessels in federal waters, federal jurisdiction may apply separately.
AST Detachment C also provides coverage in the broader Aleutian Islands region. For incidents outside Unalaska city limits or involving state enforcement matters, AST may be the responding agency. Contact AST Detachment C for records tied to those incidents.
Inmate Lookup for Unalaska Arrests
People arrested in Unalaska and taken into custody are held at a local facility before any transfer to a state DOC institution. Because Unalaska is extremely remote and accessible only by air and sea, transfers to larger state correctional facilities require air transport to Anchorage or other locations. This can mean people held after recent Unalaska arrests remain at the local level longer than is typical in road-connected communities.
Once a person enters the Alaska Department of Corrections system, use VINE at vinelink.vineapps.com/search/AK to look up their status. VINE is free and available 24 hours a day. Search by name or booking number to see the current facility and custody status. Free custody change notifications are available by phone, text, or email. Register online at any time.
For people recently arrested in Unalaska who may still be held locally and not yet in the state DOC system, contacting UPD directly at (907) 581-1233 or dispatch@unalaska.gov is the fastest option. Once a person transitions to state custody, VINE becomes the primary tracking tool.
The court serving Unalaska is in the 3rd Judicial District. Because Unalaska lacks a full-time resident judge in all cases, arraignments and hearings may be conducted by video. The Alaska court system uses video conferencing technology for remote communities. This means the case may be administered from Anchorage even if the arrest happened in Unalaska.
CourtView: Unalaska Criminal Cases
Criminal cases from Unalaska recent arrests appear in CourtView once charges are filed. Use the system for free at courts.alaska.gov/main/search-cases.htm. No login required. Search by name or case number to find charges, hearing dates, and case status.
Unalaska cases fall in the 3rd Judicial District. Depending on the charge level, cases may be filed in the district court or superior court serving the Aleutians region. CourtView covers all Alaska courts, so wherever the case is assigned geographically, it will appear in a standard CourtView search by name. Cases typically appear within 24 to 48 hours of arraignment.
CourtView is important for Unalaska because, given the remote location and limited local records infrastructure, it provides the most accessible and consistent public view of what charges followed any given recent arrest. You do not need to travel to Unalaska or know which specific court file the case is in. A simple name search returns results statewide.
Alaska DPS Background Check and Criminal History
The Alaska Department of Public Safety handles statewide criminal history checks at backgroundcheck.dps.alaska.gov. Name-based checks cost $20. Fingerprint-based checks cost $35. Both types are governed by AS 12.62.160.
A DPS statewide check covers records from both UPD and AST, making it a practical option for anyone researching a person with activity in the Unalaska area. The DPS Records Unit is at 5700 E Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507, (907) 269-5511. Mail-in requests are accepted. Given Unalaska's remote location, mail is often the most practical route for people not already in Anchorage.
DPS checks return Alaska statewide conviction records. Arrests that did not result in conviction may or may not appear depending on the case outcome. For a verified record, the fingerprint-based check is more precise than a name-based search.
AST Daily Dispatch and Additional Resources
The Alaska State Troopers Daily Dispatch at dailydispatch.dps.alaska.gov covers AST activity statewide. For Unalaska and the Aleutians, Detachment C activity appears in the dispatch. This is a useful resource for recent arrests handled by AST in the region, providing brief incident summaries before formal records are processed.
The Alaska Sex Offender Registry at sor.dps.alaska.gov includes offenders with Unalaska addresses. Registry information is public and updated by DPS as registrations change. If a recent Unalaska arrest involved a registered offender, their registry status is viewable there.
For victim notification, VINE at vinelink.vineapps.com/search/AK covers all Alaska DOC facilities. Once a person arrested in Unalaska is transferred to state custody, VINE will reflect their current location and send automatic alerts to anyone registered for that person. Registration is free and can be completed online.
Nearby Qualifying Cities
Unalaska sits at the end of the Aleutian chain and is one of the most remote cities in Alaska. There are no qualifying cities nearby with their own recent arrests pages. The nearest qualifying cities are several hundred miles away by air.
For area-wide records, see the Aleutians West Census Area records page.