Anchorage leaders wrestle with how to respond to spree of police shootings

Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case (left) and Mayor Suzanne LaFrance speak to reporters connected Aug. 15, 2024 astatine APD headquarters. (Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage leaders are weighing really champion to respond to nan precocious number of constabulary shootings successful caller months, but not everyone is successful statement complete what should beryllium done, and really quickly to do it. 

Anchorage Assembly members, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and Police Chief Sean Case each gathered astatine a typical nationalist wellness and information committee gathering Wednesday to talk nan drawstring of six constabulary shootings since mid-May. Four of those shootings were fatal. 

The astir caller happened connected August 13, erstwhile officers changeable and killed 16-year-old Easter Leafa aft a family personnel called 911 and said Leafa was threatening others pinch a knife. LaFrance publically apologized for nan sidesplitting soon after, and drew disapproval from nan caput of nan constabulary officers’ union, who said he was “dismayed” astatine nan implications of her comments. 

LaFrance clarified her position during nan meeting. 

“Multiple things tin beryllium existent astatine once,” LaFrance said. “Grief for Easter does not undermine support for sworn officers. Support for sworn officers does not undermine a committedness to change.”

In consequence to nan shooting, LaFrance and Case announced a slate of reforms to nan Anchorage Police Department, including 3rd statement reviews of Leafa’s shooting and of APD’s policies, positive nan statement of a organization advisory committee for nan police. 

But immoderate Assembly members want nan metropolis to do more.  

Several Assembly members, for illustration Felix Rivera, are pushing for a civilian oversight model. He says that exemplary could run successful a number of ways, including reviewing constabulary shootings aft they’re investigated by APD, aliases having civilian investigators beryllium a portion of nan process. He and others person asked that a exemplary for illustration that beryllium group up ahead of April of adjacent year. 

“For folks who travel municipal government, that’s for illustration ace accelerated for us,” Rivera said. “”But I do deliberation that we are successful a situation and that we request to enactment for illustration it.”

Assembly chair Chris Constant cautioned that members not unreserved to make proposals, and said nan LaFrance management should beryllium fixed clip to measurement a number of options. 

“I’ve heard arsenic a taxable from astir members for nan past six weeks that we request to let nan management clip to create their proposals for each of nan various entities wrong nan municipality,” Constant said. “And I americium going to urge that this assemblage adopts that aforesaid attack to this question, because this is nan astir delicate matter we are facing correct now arsenic a municipality.”

Assembly personnel Daniel Volland, who besides supports Rivera’s civilian oversight proposal, pushed backmost connected Constant’s remarks complete rushing nan process. He cited nan much than 2 years it took for officers to instrumentality assemblage cameras aft voters approved them. 

“The organization is not disappointment by accelerated action,” Volland said. “They are disappointment by very slow action and inaction, and truthful we person constricted opportunities arsenic Assembly members to measurement successful connected these issues, and portion of our occupation arsenic elected officials is to beryllium responsive to constituent concerns.”

Voland besides expressed interest that galore of nan shootings progressive group having a intelligence wellness crisis, and questioned whether APD was utilizing its intelligence wellness consequence units for illustration nan mobile involution team. 

“I don’t want to nonstop nan connection to nan community: Don’t call,” Volland said. “Don’t telephone nan constabulary because you mightiness suffer your loved one.”

Case responded by saying that nan mobile involution squad is moving to get trained successful some dealing pinch constabulary situations and speech tactics. He said APD argumentation is to not person intelligence wellness clinicians woody straight successful situations wherever a limb is coming and besides said his section is short staffed.

“We’re conscionable complete a twelvemonth into it, and I deliberation we’ve expanded from what our original outlook was connected nan team, and we’re going to proceed adding much resources,” Case said. “If I had nan staffing of officers to brace pinch them, I could show you that I could triple nan size of nan team.”

As metropolis leaders measurement really champion to move guardant to reside constabulary shootings, galore organization members proceed to mourn Leafa’s death. During nationalist comments successful nan meeting, Jefferson Uta pinch nan Samoan Tribal Council of Alaska said Leafa’s family precocious moved to nan state, and expressed anguish for her mother. 

“To our shame, she will everlastingly retrieve her nonaccomplishment successful a tragic manner,” Uta said. “But to besides speak connected behalf of our community, it was arsenic if nan serviceman came and changeable a kid of each Samoan family successful Alaska.”

Uta said he’s requesting assemblage camera footage of nan shooting beryllium made available, that Leafa’s mother beryllium allowed to sojourn her daughter’s assemblage and that a expansive assemblage analyse nan shooting. 

Assembly members opportunity they’re readying a organization forum connected Sept. 8 wherever members of nan nationalist tin supply much feedback connected nan caller shootings.