In the spirit of community outreach, the Kenai and Soldotna Police and Alaska State Troopers will be holding an open discussion on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at the Ammo Can coffee house in Soldotna. The public is invited to stop in from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and voice their concerns or ask questions of the officers.

Chief David Ross of the Kenai Police Department said that the various departments want to listen to what the citizens have to say in an effort to improve community relations and break down any barriers between the officers and the citizens.

“All the local law enforcement, the chiefs and the captain got together and thought it would be an opportunity for folks to come by and get to know us better and ask any questions they might have. We’re always looking to improve communication with the public,” said Sgt. Duane Kant of the Soldotna Police department.

Captain Hughes of the Soldotna-based Alaska State Troopers said that similar outreach programs have been done in other areas around Alaska and were generally well-received by the public. Hughes also said that they are hoping to make this a monthly or bi-monthly event and to have it at different locations around the community.