Anchorage Assembly leaders aim to postpone police chief confirmation until Mayor LaFrance takes office

Anchorage constabulary chief-designee Bianca Cross speaks astatine a property convention connected June 3, 2024. (Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage Assembly leaders want to postpone nan caller constabulary chief’s confirmation until Mayor Suzanne LaFrance takes office. 

In April, Mayor Dave Bronson named Bianca Cross to beryllium Anchorage constabulary chief aft erstwhile main Michael Kerle announced his retirement. Bronson lost his reelection bid nan pursuing period successful a runoff pinch LaFrance. 

Cross’s assignment is taxable to Assembly confirmation. 

That ballot is presently scheduled for Tuesday night, but Assembly chair Chris Constant said he plans to inquire nan afloat assemblage to hold nan vote. He said nan determination to sanction nan adjacent main should travel from nan adjacent administration. 

“We find ourselves successful a position where, arsenic nan modulation is moving forward, it’s conscionable nary longer Mayor Bronson’s authority to make specified an appointment,” Constant said. “So nan mobility will beryllium delayed until July.”

Constant said nan hold besides gives nan Assembly clip to spell complete Cross’s qualifications earlier they make a decision. A 26-year seasoned of nan Anchorage Police Department, Cross’s tenure arsenic chief-designee has been notable for 3 abstracted constabulary shootings successful little than a period that resulted successful 2 deaths. 

“We’ve had specified a bumpy past month, which isn’t really her fault,” Constant said. “She can’t power really shootings spell successful nan community. But there’s a really basking speech happening, and truthful for a batch of reasons, there’s conscionable a batch of questions.”

A spokesperson for Cross declined to remark connected nan hold of her confirmation vote.

Cross has faced disapproval for opting not to merchandise nan assemblage camera footage of immoderate of nan 3 shootings. 

Officers changeable and killed 34-year-old Kristopher Handy while responding to a study of a home conflict connected May 13. While constabulary officials initially reported that Handy had pointed a agelong weapon astatine officers, information footage from a neighbour suggested otherwise.

Cross later acknowledged that nan neighbor’s information footage “appears to galore to disagree from nan first connection we provided regarding nan event.”

While Handy’s family has demanded nan section merchandise nan assemblage camera footage of nan incident, Cross maintained that she wouldn’t merchandise immoderate assemblage camera footage of constabulary shootings earlier an investigation from nan authorities Office of Special Prosecutions and APD’s soul affairs portion wraps up. 

On June 1, Anchorage officers shot and injured 22-year-old Kaleb Bourdukofsky aft he allegedly changeable 2 men downtown, sidesplitting one. Two days later, 21-year-old Tyler May was changeable and killed by Anchorage police aft officers responded to a study of shots being fired adjacent a Fairview elder center.

At a property convention regarding nan shooting of May, Cross said nan 3 incidents aren’t connected.

If confirmed, Cross would beryllium nan first female Anchorage constabulary chief. LaFrance will statesman her tenure arsenic nan first female elected to beryllium Anchorage politician connected July 1.