With friends and family standing beside him, Darrin Scott Topkok received the 2026 Glenn Godfrey Law Enforcement Award at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in Anchorage.
Topkok grew up in Teller on the Seward Peninsula and began his law enforcement career in 2020 as a village public safety officer (VPSO). The program is overseen by the Alaska Department of Public Safety and administered regionally by organizations including Nome-based tribal nonprofit Kawerak.
Topkok said his more than six years in law enforcement have already brought a lifetime of experiences.
“It’s been crazy, it’s been fun, and it’s something I’m willing to do and I’m wanting to do until retirement,” Topkok said.
Topkok initially served as a VPSO before taking a break from law enforcement when he moved to Nome. He later returned as a roving VPSO, traveling between villages in the Bering Strait region to provide public safety services.
In May 2026, Topkok graduated from the Alaska State Trooper Academy, becoming an Alaska State Trooper. But Topkok said he didn’t reach that milestone alone.
“I’ve had incredible support from mentors, from instructors, from coworkers,” Topkok said. “I cannot thank everyone that supported me enough to get me to this point today.”
Bering Straits Native Corporation Board Chair Bobby Evans presented Topkok with a gift on behalf of the corporation, which nominated him for the award. Evans acknowledged that although Topkok is a relatively new trooper, his years of service as a VPSO made him a strong candidate.
Evans also spoke about the pride Alaska Native communities feel when seeing one of their own serving as a trooper.
“And I think all across the state, when we see a Alaska Native state trooper, we feel a little bit prouder,” Evans said.
Speaking on stage, Blanche Garnie from Teller described the challenges of growing up in a village that has gone without many basic services, including consistent local law enforcement. But she said the community has always relied on its residents to look after one another.
“But we have a lot of good people who take care of each other. Like Darrin, grew up taking care of other people, and he served our community so well,” Garnie said.
Topkok also credited his family for helping him navigate the challenges and pressures of law enforcement. But he said the strength required to do the job doesn’t come from wearing a badge or uniform.
“It comes from the people beside me,” Topkok said. “It comes from the community that places trust in you, and it comes from the courage that you dig up within inside you, and a little bit of hard work.”
Since graduating from the trooper academy, Topkok said he has learned that maintaining high standards in public safety requires more than rank or authority.
“It is upheld by character, integrity, and a ton of dedication towards the people that the law enforcement officers serve in Alaska,” Topkok said.
The Glenn Godfrey Law Enforcement Award recognizes Alaska Native law enforcement officers who demonstrate outstanding dedication to public safety, sometimes requiring courage in dangerous situations. The award is named after the late Glenn Godfrey, who served as director of the Alaska State Troopers and commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
Topkok is the fourth person with ties to the Bering Strait region to receive the award since 2018. Nome-raised Alaska State Trooper Lonny Piscoya received the award in 2018, followed by retired Alaska State Trooper Brian Wassmann in 2022 and Shishmaref VPSO Barret Eningowuk in 2024.
Although Topkok only recently became a state trooper, he said he views the award as a reminder of the responsibilities ahead of him.
“I will accept this nomination not for the work that I have completed so far, but I will accept this nomination for the work that needs to be done ahead,” Topkok said.
He pledged to continue serving communities across Alaska with integrity, honor and dedication.
