New Report points at need for Anchorage Police Accountability

Written By Erica Khan

Alaskans stand firm in opposition of the Ambler Road in Coldfoot, Alaska. May 16, 2026.

This week, the Municipality of Anchorage released the findings of an independent review into the Anchorage Police Department’s use-of-force practices. A press release issued by the Mayor’s Office highlighted a 17% drop in force incidents and claimed 49 of 51 recommendations have already been implemented.

Her’es what wasn’t in that press release:

  • Alaska Native and American Indian people were involved in 45.4% of all APD use-of-force incidents from 2021 through mid-2025, while making up only 7.3% of Anchorage’s population (p. 23-24). This is not a new problem. It is now independently documented in the Municipality’s own commissioned report.

  • APD uses force at a higher rate per capita than Boise, Portland, Seattle, Spokane and nearly double the rate of New Orleans, all comparable cities (p. 16-17).

  • A small group of officers is responsible for a disproportionate share of this force. Just 20 officers, 5% of the department, were involved in 19% of all use-of-force incidents department-wide; 6 officers were each involved in 100 or more separate force incidents (p. 17–18). This is exactly the kind of pattern an early-warning system is supposed to catch. Byt 21CP found that APD’s own EArly Intervention Program appears to be effectively dormant: officers and supervisors interviewed for the report told 21CP they’d heard nothing about it at all (p. 93).

The report also found that in more than half of all force incidents (56.2%), the subject was confirmed or possibly experiencing a mental health crisis. This underscores what our communites have said for years: Anchorage needs real behavioral health crisis response, not more encounters that escalate into force. 

Additionally, the “49 of 51 recommendations implemented” that APD is publicizing, the consultants who wrote the report say plainly that they did not verify APD’s self-reported progress. This number comes entirely from APD grading it’s own work.

This is exactly why Native Movement continues to support the development of an independent community review commission, a board with real authority, not just another advisory body, and not a process where the department checks its own boxes. 

A handful of officers driving a fifth of all force incidents, a dormant early-warning system, and a use-of-force rate that falls hardest on Alaska Native peoples. THESE ARE THE SYSTEMIC PATTERNS THAT REQUIRE ONGOING, INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTABILITY CHECKS. 

The Municipality is holding two public opportunities this week to respond to these findings:

  • Community Presentation - Tuesday, Sept 8th, 5:30-7:00 PM at the Fairview Community Recreation Center (112 E 10th Ave)

  • Assembly Public Health & Safety Committee Meeting - Wednesday, Sept 9th, 11 AM - 12:30 PM, City Hall Room 155 (632 W 6th Ave). Testimony will be accepted at the end of the meeting, and it will livestream on the Municipality of Anchorage Meetings YouTube channel.

WE NEED YOU THERE.

Show up.

Ask Questions.

And tell the Municipality that every Anchorage resident’s safety deserves more than a self-graded report card.

We need independent, ongoing community oversight of APD - now. The independent study proves it.

###

Erica Khan
Next

Currents of Connection: Naknek 2026 Young Adult Filmmaking Workshop