Anchorage community activists vent and try to find consensus on policing reforms

Shala Kerrigan stands extracurricular St. Mary’s Episcopal Church successful Anchorage connected Tuesday, Sept. 10. 2024. “I’d for illustration to beryllium successful a spot wherever everyone tin show their children, ‘Call nan constabulary if you’ve sewage a problem,’” she said, “but we’re not there.” (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

After a drawstring of constabulary shootings successful Anchorage, resident Shala Kerrigan said she continues to fearfulness really interactions betwixt her children and constabulary could spell wrong. 

“It’s ever frightened me, you know? I’ve ne'er known what would hap if nan constabulary were called for immoderate reason,” said nan mother of two.

Kerrigan was 1 of astir 60 group who met up Tuesday evening astatine St. Mary’s Episcopal Church for a organization chat astir nationalist information successful Anchorage pursuing 7 constabulary shootings successful nan metropolis that near 4 group dead. Multiple personnel organizations of nan Alaska Coalition for Justice, including Native Movement, nan Alaska Black Caucus and nan Pacific Community of Alaska, organized nan event. 

Kerrigan said her kids are some grown adults pinch typical needs, aliases “neurodiverse geeks” arsenic she puts it, who are into video games, anime and cosplay. Both for illustration to dress up and spell retired arsenic characters they like. 

“A batch of her video crippled costumes do see having immoderate benignant of limb aliases weapon aliases beard aliases clone knife,” she said astir her daughter, Emily. “Even though they’re evidently fake, if you’re acold capable away, really evident is nan fake, right?”

Emily Kerrigan enjoys cosplay. She says she skipped a crippled nighttime precocious because location was a ample constabulary beingness wherever they planned to be. (Courtesy of Emily Kerrigan)

Kerrigan worries astir her son, William, particularly because he’s complete 6 feet tall, weighs astir 250 pounds and tends to frost and go nonverbal if he gets scared. She’s heard speculation that 16-year-old Easter Leafa’s size was a facet erstwhile police changeable and killed her past month. Police said they were called to nan family’s flat because Leafa was threatening others pinch a knife. 

“My son’s bigger than she is. Is that going to beryllium nan excuse? That he was equipped pinch being large and brown?” said Kerrigan, who is Athasbascan. “Something conscionable has to spell a mini spot incorrect for it to beryllium our kids, and that’s not fair.” 

Other attendees shared and vented pinch each different astir their mixed feelings toward rule enforcement, bad individual experiences and what they want to spot change. The organizers asked nan media and attendees not to grounds aliases photograph nan main discussion, though immoderate attendees agreed to interviews outside. 

After astir 3 hours of talk, location appeared to beryllium statement to lobby nan city’s elected officials to create a civilian constabulary oversight panel, and to support ongoing backing successful nan 2025 city budget for special teams that specifically activity emergency calls for group in intelligence wellness crises. 

Last month, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and Police Chief Sean Case laid retired plans for much constabulary accountability and reforms. Some Anchorage Assembly members person said they besides support creating a civilian oversight board.

Some members of nan Party for Socialism and Liberation Anchorage who attended nan Tuesday gathering called retired nan organizers for receiving grants from nan metropolis authorities and for sidelining disapproval they deliberation should beryllium directed astatine metropolis officials. 

The barbs raised nan somesthesia successful nan room and derailed nan speech for a while. 

Party personnel Michael Patterson, who’s been protesting section constabulary practices for years, bristled astatine nan slow gait of reform. 

“We are measurement past a conversation,” he said. “We request civilian oversight and we request transparency and accountability. This is conscionable – it’s nan aforesaid old, aforesaid aged stuff.”

Patterson said PSL-Anchorage published a connection for a civilian oversight board successful April – earlier nan Anchorage Police Department’s drawstring of shootings began this year. 

Eventually, a subordinate refocused nan chat connected adjacent steps. 

Shala Kerrigan said she’d besides for illustration constabulary hires to spell done much inheritance checks. 

“Background checks that see looking astatine their title history from whichever departments they’re being hired retired of,” she said. 

Kerrigan said she thinks these kinds of complaints, particularly from group of colour and marginalized communities, thin to get swept nether nan rug. 

“I’d for illustration to beryllium successful a spot wherever everyone tin show their children, ‘Call nan constabulary if you’ve sewage a problem,’” she said. “But we’re not there. We aren’t anyplace adjacent there. And we support seeing stories that show we’re obscurity adjacent there. And it’s kids for illustration excavation that are getting killed.”