A kid from Miami's projects became one of Alaska's most respected law enforcement leaders by building trust one conversation at a time.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Major Anthony “Tony” April is retiring from the Alaska State Troopers after nearly three decades in uniform. April, who grew up as one of 10 children in Miami, Florida, said his path to law enforcement started in an unlikely place.
“I grew up in the projects, what they would call the hood,” April said. “In Miami, it was crack cocaine. It was killing. ” His mother grew up in the segregated South, where blacks and whites didn’t drink from the same cup.
But she led with hospitality, and one interaction with a police officer changed April’s perspective on law enforcement. When his mother offered a white officer something to drink in their neighborhood, the officer responded with respect.
“He said, yes, ma’am, and that was the first time I said, oh, and a white officer saying, yes ma’am, to my mom,” April said. “By seeing that, that gave me a different perspective. ” Growing up, April’s parents emphasized character over status. His father told him he had only one title that mattered.
April’s call to serve brought him north, first to the military, then to the Alaska State Troopers. His first rural assignment was in Bethel, where he quickly learned that trust doesn’t come with the badge.
“In this job, you’re going to make some mistakes and that’s being able to understand and always be true to who you are,” April said. He built that trust one conversation at a time, particularly through relationships with elders in those communities.
“Being able to speak with some of the elders really gave me a sense of what it’s like being out in rural Alaska,” April said. “You got to have a wife, partner, a friend, and someone who stands not behind you, with you, in front of you,” April said. “And she was able to keep me going. ” April also spent time mentoring young men who reminded him of where he came from.
He said the phone calls from those he mentored mean more than any award.
“When you get those phone calls and say, ‘Hey, I’m proud of you, you know, you didn’t give up on me. ’ That’s what Tony April is all about,” April said.
“I can stand on my action and stand on my feet and say, 28 years later, I still got a smile on my face,” April said. As he prepares for retirement, April said his career was about keeping a promise his father made him give long before he ever wore a badge.
“My dad said, never dishonor your family name and I can truly say, Dad, I never dishonored your family name,” April said. April officially retires from the Alaska State Troopers on May 1. He is looking forward to spending time with his wife Lisa, their two daughters, Ashley and Toya and their grandchildren.
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