Turnover at Glennallen Trooper Post

Photo by Scott Rodgerson (Unsplash)

August 14, 2025

Allison Sayer - CRR Staff

The Glennallen State Trooper Post has undergone a complete staffing turnover since spring 2024.

Sergeant Jordan Chroniger, the post supervisor, transferred to Glennallen from Fairbanks in April 2024 and was promoted to Sergeant this past May. Patrol Trooper Derek McWeeney transferred to Glennallen December 24, after working in Kodiak and Soldotna. 

Patrol Trooper Josiah Lloyd transferred to Glennallen in June, a lateral hire from the Matanuska/Susitna Borough. He has decided to leave in September. Hunter Churness, currently working in Fairbanks, is scheduled to arrive in September. The state is seeking to hire one more trooper to start work in Glennallen late in 2025. That will bring the total to three troopers with one post supervisor. 

I spoke with Chroniger in June to learn about his impressions of his job so far, and how he hopes to manage the post over the course of his time here. 

Before coming to Alaska, Chroniger spent ten years in law enforcement in Montana. “I enjoy the small-town feel,” he said. “I grew up in a town of 500 people in New Jersey. Working in these small communities is enjoyable. You can be on a first name basis with people. In big cities, you might arrest someone one day and never see them again. Here in these smaller communities, if you arrest someone one day, they may be the person that helps you on the side of the road the next day. It’s a different interaction than in bigger cities.”

We had a wide-ranging discussion. A recurring theme Chroniger discussed was building rapport within the community. This includes rapport during arrests. “It’s important to care,” he said, “In small communities because we see people every day, our approach might be softer or we might take a few extra minutes to talk instead of putting the handcuffs on right away. We hope it transfers to a [future] non-law enforcement contact or less serious situation.” 

“If people are comfortable talking to you, the hope is they are more willing to report something in the future,” he continued, “If people felt like they were disrespected they’re not going to want to report things.” 

Public information about troopers’ past performance is limited in the State of Alaska. However, I reached out to several local individuals who, according to Department of Public Safety (DPS) public information, had been arrested for misdemeanors in June 2025. I stated I would not share their names to encourage them to speak freely. One individual responded, who was arrested by Trooper McWeeney. He gave the arrest a good review, given the circumstances. He stated McWeeney “did everything he should have,” and was “professional and respectful.” 

Chroniger encouraged members of the public to reach out to him directly if they have any complaints about trooper conduct on the job. He also stated he would like to hear from the public about any other community concerns, or to meet with any community member that just wants to “come say ‘Hi’.” 

Chroniger discussed the importance of community reporting. “We do rely on tips from the community a lot,” he said. As an example, he shared, “I think a lot of people know who’s dealing drugs. We need to follow the law when it comes to probable cause in order to make arrests.” Online reporting on the DPS website and the AKTips App are tools the troopers hope will help with anonymous community reporting. 

In addition to asking people to come to him, Chroniger said he is encouraging his staff to go to the people. If they are not engaged with a criminal callout, he wants them to “get out of the car” and interact with the public.

Although there is renewed energy at the Glennallen trooper post, the fact remains that there is often only one person on duty at a time to cover an area “the size of Connecticut.” Chroniger asks the public for “a little bit of patience if we’re not able to respond immediately. We’re not forgetting about you or blowing you off. We need to manage time, staffing, and adjusting resources to best serve.”

What has your experience with law enforcement in the Copper Basin been? Reach out to editor@copperriverrecord.net. Look for a discussion of property crime and law enforcement in an upcoming issue of The Copper River Record.