Anchorage police set timeline for release of body camera footage in new draft policy

The Anchorage Police Department successful downtown Anchorage. (Dev Hardikar/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage constabulary would publically merchandise assemblage camera footage of serviceman shootings and different “critical incidents” wrong 45 days nether a caller draught of nan department’s assemblage camera policy. 

The Anchorage Police Department released the draft connected Friday, and a spokesperson says it still needs to beryllium signed. 

The summation of a timeline to nan argumentation follows mounting nationalist unit for nan merchandise of assemblage camera footage aft a drawstring of 5 constabulary shootings successful nan past 2 months that left 3 group dead. These were nan first constabulary shootings since officers began wearing nan cameras. 

Rich Curtner is an lawyer pinch nan Alaska Black Caucus, 1 of nan organizations that pushed for constabulary assemblage cameras. He said his statement has advocated for a shorter timeline connected nan merchandise of footage. 

“I deliberation 30 days would beryllium amended than 45 days,” Curtner said, “but astatine slightest it’s a batch amended than nan open-ended discretion of nan chief.”

APD officials declined an question and reply request, saying nan argumentation is still a draft.

Police Chief Sean Case was appointed by recently elected Mayor Suzanne LaFrance 3 weeks ago, and said establishing a timeline for nan merchandise of constabulary assemblage camera footage was a top priority.

In a statement, LaFrance called nationalist information nan “number 1 occupation of section government.”

“It was a privilege for my management coming successful to support and expedite an update to APD’s Body Worn Camera Policy,” LaFrance said. “I commend APD and Chief Case for nan activity they do, and for moving swiftly toward a applicable argumentation that allows for nan merchandise of footage while protecting criminal investigations.”

Under nan existent policy, nan merchandise of assemblage camera footage is unilaterally up to nan constabulary chief. The caller draught argumentation would let nan constabulary main to hold merchandise of footage nether circumstantial circumstances. Curtner said Case told nan Alaska Black Caucus that 1 illustration would beryllium if a shooting unfortunate is being charged pinch a homicide. 

“That mightiness beryllium a lawsuit that gets complicated,” Curtner said. “Because if that personification is charged pinch homicide, and past that’s portion of nan grounds of nan shooting, past it whitethorn travel into play arsenic acold arsenic his rights.” 

The argumentation besides allows families of nan victims of constabulary shootings to petition to privately position nan footage 2 weeks aft nan incidents. The alteration follows calls from nan family of Kristopher Handy to position nan footage of constabulary fatally shooting him. Handy was shot aft constabulary opportunity he pointed a agelong weapon astatine officers, though backstage information footage has called that declare into question.

The draught argumentation says families would not beryllium allowed to grounds nan footage during nan backstage viewings, and nan requests would beryllium astatine nan discretion of nan constabulary chief.