The head of the Alaska State Troopers is stepping down after a little more than a year on the job, retiring from nearly three decades with the Troopers.
The Department of Public Safety says trooper staff were notified late last week of Col. Hans Brinke’s retirement.
An assistant who answered Brinke’s phone on Monday said he no longer worked there.
Public Safety spokesperson Jonathon Taylor declined to say anything else about Brinke’s departure, including whether or not he was asked to step down. Brinke’s departure was not announced publicly.
The department has named Major Andrew Greenstreet as acting director of the Alaska State Troopers.
Greenstreet takes the helm as the troopers struggle with staffing levels, officer retention and rising crime that has become a focal point of campaigns heading toward the gubernatorial election next month.
Editor’s note: Taylor, the Department of Public Safety spokesperson, initially said Brinke’s retirement was effective Tuesday, Oct. 2, but later said that was a mistake and that Brinke’s retirement was effective Monday, Oct. 1.
Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Casey here.
