The administration of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz has organized a volunteer training for Anchorage's Trail Watch program in response to demands for more security along the city's trail system.
The training will take place at noon Thursday at the Lidia Selkregg Chalet at Russian Jack Springs Park, said city spokeswoman Nora Morse. It's open to anyone who is interested in the program.
Additional trainings at other times of day will be announced soon, Morse said.
Interest in the Trail Watch program, which began in 2003 amid concerns about trail safety, has surged in the weeks after two killings in Valley of the Moon Park in late August. At recent public meetings, neighborhood residents have clamored for ways to get involved with making the community safer while police staffing is stretched thin.
The duties of Trail Watch volunteers range from clearing brush to reporting homeless camps and suspicious activity. Some volunteers sign up to patrol specific sections of trail at certain times, while others wear armbands and patrol whenever or wherever they'd like.
Click here for information from the city website about the program.