Anchorage’s next police chief wants timelines for release of body cam footage, among other changes

Sean Chase, recently appointed main of nan Anchorage Police Department, stands extracurricular Alaska Public Media successful Anchorage connected Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

Incoming Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance announced this week the assignment of Sean Case to beryllium nan adjacent main of constabulary for Alaska’s largest city.

Case, presently a lawman chief, grew up successful Anchorage and is simply a 23-year seasoned of nan force. On Monday, he’ll switch Bianca Cross, whom Mayor Dave Bronson appointed conscionable 2 months agone earlier losing his reelection bid to LaFrance.

Case says his imagination for nan Anchorage Police Department differs from erstwhile constabulary chiefs successful a fewer important ways.

Listen:

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This question and reply has been lightly edited for magnitude and clarity.

Sean Case: We tin return advantage of opportunities to link pinch our community. And I cognize erstwhile I opportunity that to people, they’re like, “Well, what does that mean?” Well, this (interview) is that opportunity. You know, whether it starts pinch me, it’s connection pinch mainstream media, it’s nan usage of societal media and it’s each nan measurement down to nan statement level employees. We’re going to return attraction of nan constabulary business. If it’s an apprehension that’s warranted, we’re going to make that arrest. But astatine nan aforesaid time, you know, we’re ne'er going to return someone’s dignity away.

And truthful that relationship to nan community, really, is to support that successful mind, that you are astir apt nan only personification that’s going to really attraction astir nan unfortunate aliases whoever is calling that day, that week, that month, possibly successful nan past respective years. And truthful that ever has to beryllium nan apical priority, and everything other benignant of, you know, flows from there. And it’s ever astir connecting pinch people. The job’s ever people.

Casey Grove: So, of course, we’ve seen a benignant of a drawstring of officer-involved shootings here, conscionable benignant of successful nan early summertime up to now. And, you know, there’s been immoderate statement astir really those recordings from nan constabulary officers’ assemblage cameras should beryllium released. And I deliberation nan existent chief, astatine slightest for a fewer much days, has said she’s not going to merchandise them until nan investigation is complete. It sounds for illustration you want to attack that differently.

SC: Correct. And again, it goes backmost to connecting. I’m a beautiful elemental guy. You know, really do you link pinch nan community? And nan narrative, erstwhile we don’t cognize nan narrative, conscionable arsenic quality beings, we put an ending to nan story, and, you know, there’s each sorts of things that power that. If you don’t spot nan police, you’re astir apt going to create a communicative of, probably, thing bad happened. And likewise, if you really spot nan police, your communicative that you benignant of dress up is going to beryllium astir apt positive. And if we don’t supply immoderate benignant of accusation aliases context, past that communicative is near up to each personification that’s, you know, benignant of, perceiving nan event.

And location are challenges pinch releasing videos. This is not arsenic elemental arsenic an serviceman gets progressive successful a shooting today, and 2 days later we merchandise nan video. There are immoderate complications that exist. And it’s very important to maine during nan investigative process, some nan criminal and nan administrative, that we get a connection from nan officer, anterior to them watching nan video. I want to cognize what their cognition was of nan incident. I don’t want them to watch a video and past (regurgitate). I tin watch nan video. I cognize what happened successful it. I want them to springiness context. And I want them to show maine what they remember, what they saw. And truthful that slows down nan merchandise process. That’s a really precocious privilege to me, for galore reasons.

But I deliberation we each want to cognize why nan serviceman made a decision. And we beryllium it to them arsenic well. And anytime we person an officer-involved shooting, that has an effect connected nan community, it has an effect connected nan officer. It has an effect connected nan department. It evidently has an effect connected nan family of whoever mislaid their life. But nan community, it has an effect connected them. It creates anxiety. It creates fear. So we person to beryllium mindful that if these these officer-involved shootings happen. You know, (if) we released a video 7 months later, like, that’s 7 months of uncertainty. That’s 7 months of a narrative, a conversation, that we can’t person until that video gets released. So we’ve drafted a policy. We’re having our ineligible squad look astatine it correct now truthful that we tin move guardant pinch thing arsenic quickly arsenic possible. And truthful we should person thing coming out.

CG: So I conjecture nan metropolis attorneys person to look astatine it. But are location specifics successful that argumentation that you’re capable to talk about? I mean, for illustration timelines and things for illustration that?

SC: I won’t specifically get into timelines. There is timelines successful nan policy. A mates of things that are important (with) timelines. If that timeline, for immoderate logic is going to beryllium violated, we’re going to person a logic that we tin articulate to nan public, “Hey, we’re going to break this timeline, because, ‘fill successful nan blank.'” It’s sewage to beryllium thing wherever it’s not, “Hey, it’s nether investigation.” What does that mean? Like? Does it mean, like, what’s happening? Is anyone doing nan work? Because, you know, “So we person a cardinal witnesser we’re looking for successful this investigation, we haven’t been capable to find them, and erstwhile we find that cardinal witness, we’re gonna merchandise a video.” Like that, astatine least, it whitethorn not make everybody happy, but astatine slightest group are like, “OK, there’s a portion of this puzzle they request to get done.”

And then, you know, intelligibly addressing nan correct to privacy. You know, I person a very bully narration pinch nan ACLU present successful town. I emotion nan activity that they do. And that’s their mission, you know, they want to protect those civilian rights. And we do person an definitive correct to privateness successful Alaska. And truthful this is simply a needle that has to beryllium threaded, to make judge that we tin supply nan nationalist pinch immoderate answers to immoderate questions arsenic early arsenic possible, while besides knowing astir nan correct to privacy. We’ve sewage criminal process and each this worldly that we don’t want to talk astir because it’s confusing. So that’s benignant of why I wanted to commencement this process arsenic early arsenic imaginable truthful that, you know, we’re not having this speech 3 weeks into it, and group are going, “When are you going to reply this questio?” So I deliberation we’re going to move very swiftly connected it.

CG: So, I mean, I benignant of person to inquire this question, because it seems for illustration SWAT officers would beryllium progressive successful situations, you know, that mightiness lead to an officer-involved shooting, conscionable by nan quality of those situations. How is it that SWAT officers pinch nan cogwheel that they deterioration were not outfitted pinch assemblage cameras?

SC: I don’t person a reasonable reply to that question. I tin show you they’re gonna person cameras July 1.

CG: The SWAT officers will?

SC: Yeah.

CG: Gotcha. OK, truthful you’ve spoken conscionable present successful nan past mates of days astir organization policing, and present today. And I think, you know, a constituent of that is dealing pinch folks that are having intelligence wellness crises. Are location things that you want to spot nan APD doing otherwise to thief those folks?

SC: So June marks nan one-year people that we hired 5 intelligence wellness clinicians, and we paired them pinch constabulary officers, which we telephone a Mobile Intervention Team. And that is simply a immense measurement for rule enforcement. There’s nary section successful nan state that does it rather for illustration nan measurement we do it. And our attack from time 1 was bringing successful clinicians. They had a wide scope of acquisition they brought erstwhile we brought them in. So we had, you know, those that person worked successful residential settings, those that person worked pinch juveniles, those who activity pinch adults. And truthful they benignant of had a very wide scope of skills that they brought in.

And nan thought from infinitesimal 1 was, let’s supply them a small spot of training connected constabulary stuff, so, you know, what’s happening, to brace them up pinch an serviceman that’s very interested. We did a action processes for those officers. So this wasn’t immoderate benignant of, we grabbed a mates officers and stuck them pinch them this. They want to do this work. They’re paired pinch that aforesaid officer, truthful they’re establishing that narration and that teamwork. And I wanted nan clinicians to spell retired and do immoderate they could these first respective months, for illustration you return nan scenery successful from a objective perspective. I don’t want to, arsenic nan lawman main astatine nan time, show them really to do their job.

And truthful it started with, “Hey, let’s return patrol calls from patrol truthful they tin spell to different calls for service.” And now we’ve started adding much connected their plate. Right now, we’re doing a home unit task pinch them. So they are responding to victims progressive successful home unit and person been recontacting them aggregate times aft nan incident. So it’s not conscionable benignant of this, “Hey, personification threatened suicide, and truthful we’re going to return a clinician and put them retired there.” This is really they interact pinch victims. Next, we’ll talk astir really we tin interact, usage that objective perspective, for offenders. Because, you know, if you person a home unit situation, aliases you person personification committing a crime, you know, location whitethorn beryllium thief that a clinician tin supply either that unfortunate aliases that offender. So it really is expanding. I for illustration to opportunity that I could triple nan size of my MIT team, and I’d still person activity for them to do, because their power connected rule enforcement is conscionable tremendous. And we haven’t figured retired precisely moreover nan grade of nan impact. We’re still utilizing them. So I’m very proud of that unit.

CG: So, you know, thing I’ve seen since Mayor LaFrance, incoming Mayor LaFrance, you know, announced that she wanted you to beryllium nan adjacent constabulary chief, is this, like, disapproval that, astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic she made that announcement, she said she wants to deepen connections pinch nan BIPOC organization successful Anchorage. And, you know, she, astatine nan aforesaid clip she’s picking you, you’re a achromatic man, and not sticking pinch a achromatic woman, Bianca Cross, arsenic nan constabulary chief. How do you consciousness astir that? Have you seen that criticism? And what do you deliberation astir that?

SC: You know, each I will opportunity connected that beforehand is, you know, our actions dictate benignant of wherever we guidelines connected it. And it’s 1 point to springiness articulator work to immoderate of this stuff. I person a agelong history pinch immoderate of nan BIPOC organizations successful Anchorage. It’s been very important before, for a agelong time, and successful diversifying, hiring, and looking astatine nan measurement we train and nan measurement that we instrumentality different procedures wrong nan constabulary department, truthful that erstwhile we person a much divers workforce, it’s not, you know, skewed towards a definite way.

Those type of taste changes are challenging successful rule enforcement. I mean, anytime you want to want to benignant of look astatine those types of issues anyplace you’re at, it’s challenging. So I’m gonna dodge a small spot of your mobility and conscionable benignant of springiness you, you know, nan Sean case, you know, this is nan history and nan way grounds that I have. Expanding nan labor wrong nan Anchorage Police Department truthful that we person much members of nan BIPOC community, arsenic good arsenic females successful nan department, is highly important to me. You know, I was a portion of promoting Chief Cross to lieutenant arsenic good arsenic captain. You know, she was an fantabulous detective erstwhile she was a detective, arsenic good arsenic skipper of nan Detective Division. She’s qualified, she’s skilled. There’s a logic why we promoted her. And I’ll proceed to do those sorts of things pinch providing opportunities to group that traditionally haven’t had immoderate of nan akin opportunities we’ve seen.

CG: We support proceeding from folks, you know, shop owners, residents, Mayor Bronson, even, different folks, that, you know, they don’t want to criminalize homelessness. But there’s there’s, I think, a sentiment that they still want immoderate of these low-level crimes investigated and dealt with. And, I mean, what do you deliberation astir that? And is location thing you want to opportunity astir APD’s domiciled successful that?

SC: We person a domiciled successful homelessness, and I deliberation there’s been a narrative, you know, not conscionable here, but astir nan country, wherever constabulary departments for illustration to say, “Homelessness is not a constabulary problem.” And that’s true, like, it is not a sole constabulary problem. But that besides leads nan constabulary section to usage that arsenic an excuse to not prosecute astatine a level that they should beryllium engaging in, successful nan bum conversation.

So nan 2 evident things are criminal activity successful and amongst nan bum community. That’s nan constabulary world. Victimization, our bum organization is measurement over-represented erstwhile it comes to victimization. That’s nan constabulary section world. But it goes beyond that. I already mentioned MIT. They person a domiciled to play successful this. They person thing to offer. They tin link to resources. It’s beyond intelligence health. It’s besides constituent maltreatment and misuse. They person connections, they person resources they tin use. We person clinicians that person expertise successful that area arsenic well. So they bring that assets to nan array arsenic well. I judge that nan squad passim nan full municipality, not only pinch nan departments that activity wrong nan municipality, but different resources that we have, nonprofits, shelters, those sorts of things, that we’re going to spot a batch of moving together.

To benignant of spell backmost to nan existent difficult portion of your question, which is, now you person low-level crime that’s being committed. And low-level crime is committing thefts successful businesses that make businesses crazy, right? It impacts their bottommost line. It’s frustrating, you know, it’s causing businesses successful nan downtown areas of Anchorage to want to move and spell someplace else, truthful that they’re not taking a loss. And that is simply a good line. Because location are immoderate folks that perpetrate those crimes, nan criminal justness strategy conscionable simply is not nan spot for them. And location are immoderate group that perpetrate those crimes wherever nan criminal justness system’s perfectly nan champion spot for them. And unfortunately, that’s not a agleam line.

That’s not thing I tin spell show an officer, “Hey, here’s precisely wherever nan statement is, and you put, you know, this group connected 1 broadside and this group connected nan different side. It’s an easy decision.” You know, that takes education, experience, from our officers, from our clinicians, to really benignant of evaluate. That doesn’t mean we’re gonna get it correct each azygous time. But we’re besides required arsenic a constabulary section to provide, you know, further resources for illustration much ft patrols, much contacts pinch businesses, and staffing impacts that, truthful that’s a challenge, But it’s still not an excuse. And I deliberation nan businesses respond a batch amended if they person a constant, accordant serviceman aliases personnel of our master unit that they tin scope retired to, erstwhile it’s not like, “I sewage to telephone 911 aliases 311 correct now,” but like, “I’m having immoderate issues with, you know, nan bum organization and astir my business and my home.” So those are nan things we’re gonna beryllium moving towards.

CG: What astir nan large stuff? I mean, you know, homicides, intersexual assaults. How do you deliberation your investigators are doing connected those things? Are location things that you mightiness want to do to improve, I don’t know, I deliberation you telephone it for illustration “clearance rates” right?

SC: Yeah.

CG: What astir that?

SC: You know, Alaska is has always, and Anchorage, has ever had its challenges pinch convulsive crime, and we’re consistently, per capita, successful nan apical azygous digits successful nan country. And truthful that’s ever concerning. There’s a mates of crimes that really propulsion our numbers down, truthful to speak, aliases up, depending connected which measurement you look astatine it.

You know, our homicide detectives and our homicide squad are outstanding. Same point pinch our intersexual battle response. You know, we we mention to it arsenic “the golden standard.” It is, you know, we consistently maintain, looking astir nan country, to make judge that we are not missing immoderate of nan things. Everyone gets, you know, detectives and resources and forensic nurses. I mean, we person a multidisciplinary halfway approach. So it’s a awesome response. You know, wherever we tin amended successful intersexual battle is, you know, we’re number 1 successful nan state twelvemonth aft year, and yet, erstwhile was nan past clip you saw nan Anchorage Police Department talking astir intersexual assault? And now there’s reasons for that. We don’t want to double-victimize, you know, a victim, and it’s delicate information. But I deliberation moreover doing things for illustration letting nan nationalist know, different arrest, different indictment, different conviction. We don’t person to usage names. You know, we don’t person to put nan unfortunate successful a bad place. But it’s conscionable (getting) those types of pieces of accusation retired to nan public, it’s important