The New Year will arrive without police service for four communities within the Municipality of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm.

Alaska State Troopers say after losing 32 trooper positions due to budget cuts over the last two years it will no longer provide police support for Bird Creek, Indian, Rainbow, and Portage or the Seward Highway past mile post 75.

The Director of the Alaska State Troopers Colonel James Cockrell says the responsibility will fall to the Anchorage Police Department the 1st quarter of 2017, “There’s no reason they can’t take over that area and I think they’re obligated to do so,” Colonel Cockrell said in mid-November.

Municipal Attorney Bill Falsey says state law says otherwise, “The municipality is authorized by state law to offer police services only where people have elected to tax themselves to provide for police services,” said Falsey in November.

With just over 24 hours before the New Year residents of the affected communities are reacting, “I understand everyone has to watch their budgets but it should never be at the cost of safety,” said Jack Goodsell who owns the Turnagain Arm Pit restaurant in Indian, “The local community has a great community council. They’re putting a group of people together to study what’s going on, to try and come up with solutions,” Goodsell said.

The owner of Bird Creek Motel offered a home grown solution, “The community needs to pull together and develop plans to create an organized response to community needs,” said Erik Lambertsen. One resident of Indian who didn’t want to be identified said he doesn’t know who to contact if there’s an emergency.

Colonel Cockrell said on December 30th the issues remains unresolved.