It was standing room only for a lengthy discussion about the lack of Alaska State Trooper presence in the Upper Valley. Residents shared their concerns about slow or no response from Troopers despite increasing drug activity, theft, and vandalism. The group also discussed the two murdered women at the Mile 112 gravel pit and lack of public information about the investigation.
Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell says that the Upper Valley is not the only community with a drug problem. He says the state has a drug problem. Some residents say that the drugs are the root of the theft and vandalism.
Cockrell went on to say that the Troopers have 60 vacancies, which is about 20 percent of the workforce. Eleven of those vacancies are in the Mat-Su Borough. At any one time as few as five Troopers are patrolling the entire Mat-Su region.
Some residents say they’ve waited hours for Trooper response and others never get one. With only five Troopers on duty, Captain Tony Wegrzyn (WEG-zin) says they can’t be proactive. Troopers respond to about 100 calls on each shift, making it a reactive process. Andy Gorn, the new B Detachment Commander, says that after the Trooper post was removed in 2015, there was an effort to always have at least one patrol car in the Talkeetna area. He says that has not been happening in recent years.
Many of the calls they receive are far south of the Upper Valley area and that leads to a delayed response time. The B Detachment area is slightly larger than the state of Arkansas with nearly 3,000 miles of roadway to patrol.
Residents asked if the Trooper post at Talkeetna could be revisited or to at least have a presence more often in the Upper Valley. Cockrell says that the Talkeetna/Trapper Creek area is a priority for additional staffing, but until more Troopers are on-boarded, it will continue to be a challenge. Commander Gorn says after his first four months in his post, he now recognizes the need and will be directing more Troopers to the area.
Commissioner Cockrell noted the Department of Public Safety’s new Navigator system, launched this month. The program added 32 support positions that will assist Troopers with administrative work and liaise with the public. They can provide case numbers, Trooper information, and assist with posting daily Dispatches.
The Troopers say that submitting items through the AK Tips app or online is anonymous and is sent to them. It also provides a way for the Trooper to contact the sender without revealing contact information, a concern for some residents who fear retribution for reporting incidents. Captain Wegrzyn (WEG-zin) says residents are absolutely part of the solution and that AK Tips is a great way to report non-emergencies to them.
