At this week’s packed Nikiski community meeting, Alaska State Troopers’ Captain Andy Greenstreet debuted his plan for a criminal suppression detail to combat thefts in the area.
Greenstreet: “This detail is made up of two full-time Alaska State Troopers stationed out of the Soldotna post, Trooper Matt Ezell and Trooper Casey Hershberger will head up the unit, combined they have over twenty years of law enforcement experience. Also assigned to that particular detail will be a part-time office assistant, their responsibility will be to look at crime data analysis and help draw together information pertaining to the burglaries being reported.”
Members of the community along with AST Major Matt Leveque of Anchorage agreed that Nikiski’s burglary problem has an underlying drug problem causing it.
Greenstreet: “In addition, the detail will work closely with the statewide drug enforcement unit, often times burglaries are associated with illicit drug use, so there will be a free-flowing of information between the two units. That unit will also be working closely with the Bureau of Highway Patrol and other patrol troopers in and around the area.”
Captain Greenstreet and his troopers were applauded as they did arrest five suspects earlier this week for a variety of charges, but all believed to have been connected with some of those Nikiski thefts.