Governor Dunleavy proposed the budget for the 2026 fiscal year last week. The 14 billion dollar budget outlines funding for various projects including 2.4 million dollars dedicated to opening a Trooper outpost in Talkeetna.
Talkeetna had a Trooper Outpost that was closed almost ten years ago when budget cuts left the Upper Valley without a consistent law enforcement presence.
Since then, there have been multiple pushes to establish some sort of trooper presence in the Upper Valley, but they have been unsuccessful.
Alaska Department of Public Safety Communications Director Austin McDaniel says the outpost would be a major step forward in ensuring public safety allowing the DPS to “hold dangerous criminals accountable, and help us save lives.”
The Alaska State Troopers receive around 2,500 service calls from the Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, and Willow area each year, but haven’t had enough presence to respond quickly. Without a dedicated outpost, it takes a minimum of 30-45 minutes for a trooper to respond, often taking several hours.
McDaniel says reopening the Trooper Outpost would significantly decrease response times for residents in the surrounding area.
The Governor’s proposed budget will make its way to the legislature late January, where they will vote and finalize the budget.
