Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year, unveiled last week, includes $2.4 million dedicated to reopening an Alaska State Trooper post in Talkeetna.
Talkeetna's previous trooper post was closed almost a decade ago, when budget cuts left the Upper Susitna Valley without a consistent law enforcement presence.
Since then there have been multiple pushes to establish some sort of trooper presence in the region, but they have been unsuccessful.
Austin McDaniel, communications director for the state Department of Public Safety, said the post would be a major step forward in allowing troopers to “hold dangerous criminals accountable, and help us save lives.”
Troopers receive around 2,500 service calls from the Talkeetna, Trapper Creek and Willow areas each year, but haven’t had enough presence to respond quickly. Without a dedicated post it takes a minimum of 30 to 45 minutes for a trooper to respond, often stretching to several hours.
McDaniel said reopening the Talkeetna post would significantly decrease response times for residents in the surrounding area.
The governor’s proposed budget will make its way to the state Legislature in late January.