Public Safety
RSSPublic safety in Alaska is the network of law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services that protect the state's communities. It covers Alaska State Troopers, municipal and village police, fire departments and village public safety officers.
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Week of Oct 26
Two hurt after vehicle loses control on ice and hits a guardrail in Ketchikan
Two people were hurt when their vehicle lost control on ice and hit a guardrail on Ketchikan's Revilla Road. No impairment is suspected, troopers said.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Driver says he may have dozed off before work zone crash on Parks Highway
A driver who told troopers he may have fallen asleep rear-ended an SUV stopped for a flagger in the Parks Highway work zone at Mile 324. He had minor injuries.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Coast Guard cutter Stratton returns from 103-day patrol of Alaska's Arctic and Bering Sea
The Coast Guard cutter Stratton is home in California after 103 days off Alaska, including 26 north of the Arctic Circle and a change of captains at Kotzebue.
by Alaska News2w ago2 min read
Bethel's landfill score drops to 69.6% on its state inspection, down from 90.9%
Bethel's landfill score on its state inspection fell from 90.9% to 69.6%. The state flagged undrained vehicles and no one checking incoming trash loads.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Juneau to close five downtown and Douglas streets to vehicles for winter
Juneau will close five downtown and Douglas streets to vehicles starting Oct. 30 for winter safety. No reopening date is set.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min read
Coast Guard searches for Angoon boater after empty skiff found near Killisnoo Island
Coast Guard and Wrangell rescue teams are searching near Angoon for Roger Williams Jr., 35, after his empty skiff was found near Killisnoo Island.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Volunteers rescue hiker with suspected broken ankle on Anchorage's O'Malley Trail
Alaska Mountain Rescue Group volunteers carried a 33-year-old hiker with a suspected broken ankle off Anchorage's O'Malley Trail early Wednesday. He was taken to a hospital.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Rabbit Creek council asks Assembly to limit AI use of police plate-reader data
Rabbit Creek's community council voted 17-0 to ask the Assembly to rein in how AI handles police plate-reader data in the city's surveillance rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
More from Public Safety
Search under way in Fairbanks and Huslia areas for missing Fairbanks man
Searchers are looking around Fairbanks and Huslia for Sterling Dewilde, 45, who was last heard from Sept. 11. Police ask anyone with information to call.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Anchorage police would get state money to go after street racers and impaired drivers
Anchorage street racers, take note: the Assembly votes Nov. 4 on $2.5 million in state grants paying police to chase racers, speeders and impaired drivers.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Anchorage police ask for help finding Jess Rush, 65, last seen on Lake Otis Parkway
Anchorage police seek help finding Jess Rush, 65, last seen walking Lake Otis Parkway near Oak Street. He wore a black coat and pants. Call APD at 907-786-8900.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Troopers arrest Deering man after reports he assaulted multiple people in the village
Nome troopers arrested a Deering man Tuesday after reports he assaulted multiple people and damaged property in the village. The school sheltered in place.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Missing child found unharmed on family's Sterling property after evening search
A child reported missing in Sterling on Monday was found unharmed on the family's own property after a search that included a thermal drone.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Central Mat-Su firefighters will hand out free reflective treat bags Saturday
Central Mat-Su Fire Dept hands out free reflective treat bags Saturday, 1 to 7 pm, at five stations. • Ester holds a free Halloween festival Saturday, Kodiak runs a haunted house Friday and Saturday for food bank donations.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Troopers say they suspect no foul play in death of 75-year-old Saxman woman
Ann McEachern, 75, died Saturday at her Saxman home after medics could not revive her. Alaska State Troopers say they do not suspect foul play.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Fairbanks panel upholds euthanasia order for a German shepherd reported 26 times
A Fairbanks panel voted 8-1 to uphold an order to euthanize Shadow, a German shepherd with years of complaints. The man he bit didn't want him put down.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Coming up
Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Regional Emergency Services Advisory Committee
Mona Lisa Drexler Assembly Chambers, Juanita Helms Administration Center, 907 Terminal Street, Fairbanks, AK
Meeting
Public Safety Careers Event
Community event
Alaska Police Standards Council Meeting
Meeting
Basic Handgun Class
Class
Cordova City Council E911 Surcharge Implementation
Public notice
About Public Safety
Public safety in Alaska takes in the law enforcement, fire, emergency medical and rescue services that protect its communities. It includes the Alaska State Troopers, municipal police, village public safety officers, fire departments, and search and rescue by the Coast Guard and the Alaska Air National Guard.
Highway crashes and closures, searches for missing people and boaters, structure fires and rescues in remote villages recur across the state. Local governments decide on police funding, including state grants for units that target impaired driving and street racing, as well as rules for police surveillance and ambulance fees.
Public safety overlaps closely with crime, government and the courts. In rural Alaska, troopers and village public safety officers respond to emergencies in villages, while Coast Guard cutters patrol the Arctic and the Bering Sea.
More from Public Safety
Anchorage police seek missing 10-year-old twins last seen near East Northern Lights
Anchorage police are searching for missing 10 year old twins Josiah and Joshua Wright, last seen near East Northern Lights Boulevard Monday. Anyone with information is asked to call Dispatch at 311.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Troopers arrest Shungnak man after shooting puts the village on lockdown
Troopers arrested a Shungnak man, 23, on assault and weapons charges after a Sunday shooting put the village on lockdown. The injuries weren't life-threatening.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Week of Oct 19
Juneau police become first Alaska agency in Georgetown peer-intervention program
Juneau police say they're first in Alaska to join Georgetown's ABLE program, training officers to step in on colleagues. Georgetown is testing whether it works.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Alaskans can drop off unused prescription drugs Saturday at DEA take-back sites
DEA and Alaska troopers host a no questions asked prescription drug take back day Saturday 10am to 2pm at seven sites statewide.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Fixes are out for serious flaws in software behind dozens of Alaska websites
PHP fixed two flaws that can let hackers take over web servers, no password needed. Dozens of Alaska websites use PHP. Whether they've patched isn't public.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read
One person dies in a second-alarm fire at a gated Midtown Anchorage condo complex
One person died in a second-alarm fire at a gated Midtown Anchorage condo complex Thursday. Police evacuated residents door to door as 31 fire units responded.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Anchorage approves $1.23 million for two fire tenders to replace aging trucks
Anchorage is buying two new water tenders for $1.23 million to replace trucks older than 25 years, though the new ones could take about 20 months to arrive.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Bethel council to consider backing AVCP plan for a regional emergency response system
Bethel's mayor wants the City Council to back AVCP's plan for a tribally led public safety and emergency response system for Western Alaska, hub in Bethel.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Cordova council brings back $2 monthly 911 surcharge to help dispatchers find callers
Cordova is bringing back a $2 monthly charge per phone line to help 911 dispatchers find callers. For some low-income customers, that triples the bill.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min read
Police find no bombs after threats to five Anchorage schools; three campuses evacuated
Bomb threats were called in to five Anchorage schools Wednesday, and three evacuated. Police found no evidence of a bomb and believe the threats are unfounded.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Troopers and rescue center retrieve critically injured person in Stevens Village
Troopers and the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center flew a critically injured Stevens Village resident to Fairbanks after two private air ambulances turned back. The person is expected to recover.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Sitka cellphone callers can't reach 911; city gives direct numbers for police and fire
Cellphone callers in Sitka can't reach 911 or the police and fire lines. The city posted direct numbers to use until carriers fix it. Landlines still work.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
South Tongass fire crews move back into rebuilt Station Four in Ketchikan
South Tongass fire crews moved back into rebuilt Station Four on Sept. 21, more than two years after an April 2024 fire destroyed it. The blaze destroyed four vehicles including two engines and an ambulance, with a second ambulance suffering serious smoke damage.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly amends proposed police surveillance rules, then runs out of time
The Assembly agreed an administrative warrant isn't enough to share surveillance data the rules bar, made it easier to pause a tool, then ran out of clock.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago4 min read
Air Force Reserve pilots on bush-flying course shut off fuel leak at overturned Super Cub
Air Force Reserve pilots training in bush flying landed near an overturned Super Cub on an Alaska river sandbar and shut off its leaking fuel.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Anchorage police help BIA unit search for man, 51, missing since July in a Pine Ridge case
Anchorage police are helping a federal BIA unit search for Peter Wesley, 51, missing since July and last seen at an Anchorage shelter in late September.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readFrom 
Fairbanks couple killed, toddler hurt in Parks Highway crash at Trapper Creek
A Fairbanks couple died Monday when their Subaru crossed the center line and hit a pickup near Trapper Creek. Their toddler was hurt. The Parks Highway closed for about five hours.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Federal agencies inspect cargo at the port that supplies most of Alaska
The Coast Guard, NOAA and TSA inspected cargo at the port that brings in goods for 90% of Alaskans. They didn't say when, or whether they found anything.
by Bill AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readFrom 
Searchers bring two hunters out of Power Creek Basin near Cordova after a minor injury
Troopers, Cordova crews and 40 volunteers pulled two hunters from Power Creek Basin Sunday after a minor injury. One got hurt packing game, the other got soaked helping him.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Rabbit rescuer to tell Anchorage Assembly no agency acted after pet rabbits were shot
Tania Krawchenko will tell the Anchorage Assembly Tuesday that no agency responded after two pet rabbits were shot in South Anchorage, killing one and leading to the other being euthanized.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Crash closes Parks Highway both ways near Trapper Creek; reopening expected at 3:30 pm
A crash closed the Parks Highway in both directions near Trapper Creek on Monday morning, cutting the Anchorage-Fairbanks route until at least mid-afternoon.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Week of Oct 12
Fort Wainwright advocates say domestic abuse goes beyond physical violence
Fort Wainwright advocates say domestic abuse can mean financial control, digital abuse or threats to pets. They're at the post Exchange twice this month.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Driver strikes and kills woman crossing Muldoon Road in Anchorage
A driver struck and killed Bertha Nesbit, 62, as she crossed Muldoon Road in Anchorage. No charges have been filed, and police are still investigating.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Kotlik man charged with attempted murder after reports he pointed a shotgun at two people
Alaska State Troopers arrested a 21-year-old Kotlik man on two counts of attempted murder and 14 other charges after reports he pointed a shotgun at two people.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
