Anchorage Police Chief Bianca Cross is not being retained by Mayor-elect Suzanne LaFrance, Must Read Alaska has learned. Chief Cross notified the police force in an email early today.
Chief Cross took office on April 29, having worked in policing since 1997 when she joined APD as a recruit. Cross is the first female chief of the department. During her 26-plus-year career at APD, she worked as a patrol officer, supervisor, burglary detective in the Property Crimes Detective Division, sexual assault detective in the Special Victims Unit, homicide detective and supervisor in the Homicide Unit, and a commander of the Violent Crimes Detective Division.
Chief Cross has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in Business Administration. She was the recipient of the 2020 Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police Officer of the Year and the 2018 Anchorage Police Department Leadership Award. She replaced Chief Michael Kerle, who retired in April.
Former Deputy Chief Sean Case, who is close with the Leftist Assembly and Mayor-elect LaFrance, will be named to step in as the chief, although the announcement has not been made by the LaFrance team.
Update: The announcement of the change was made at noon on Tuesday.
Not a big believer in public safety appointments by skin color or plumbing but Chief Cross has a strong resume whereas the new replacement Case also has a respectable resume but includes “friends in high places”…I’m curious what the average APD employee thinks of this political switch?
Seems typical that leftists say one thing but practice another by replacing an Alaskan WOC with a white dude from California…Cross replaced a retiring Chief whereas Case’s political appointment is booting an existing Chief who should be the poster child for the left’s dogma…Strange brew indeed is brewing in the Los Anchorage cauldron…
I am completely disappointed in this first major decision from the mayor-elect. And now I fully expect more disappointments and some anger to follow.
Chief Cross has had a remarkable and productive career of service and leadership to the municipality to this point in time. It is unfortunate that the assembly and the mayor-elect fail to see that she would have continued to provide our community with valor, distinction, and sound judgement for the remainder of her career. Chief Cross is a remarkable individual and exactly the person we need to lead APD at this time. This is a bad decision Suzanne.
Lafrance is a Racist!!!!!
We don’t know that. Not yet.
Lafrance is a Sexist!!!!!
LaFrance is a left-wing, communist, wacko Democrat.!!!!!
La-France (aka “Karen”) is specifically … whatever is best for her.
I saw that one coming.
Cross although being over qualified for the important position she lacks the most important qualification….
She is not a liberal Democrat who bows to the almighty goddess mayoral elect.
In order for Lafrance to transform Anchorage into Portland style chaos and disfunctional police department the ASSembly wants she needs foot soldiers that bow and take orders on command.
I was 50-50 on it. Letting a minority woman go seemed like it might have been a bit of a stretch for the Empress.
But since progressives hate women and minorities, I suppose she was doomed from the day the votes were certified.
LaFrance has already put a handful of women at the helm, why not Cross? Is she not white enough for LaFrance? Too straight? No Harvard degree or legal backround?
I look forward to hearing what the new admin has to say. From what I’ve heard, Cross is well respected among APD officers.
Sowing discontent wherever she goes…this is gonna be a rough ride, my fellow Americans.
Definitely racially motivated.
Elect who you want as mayor, but don’t politicize the police department. What’s next, fire, ambulance?
Do you know the unions choose our leaders?
Police …. fire …. EMT… all in Muni unions, who pick our leaders.
Do you pay attention at all?
That is why Alaska needs to be a right to work state. I have sparred with Beltrami and can tell you he is a blooming ID 10T
Just proves once again if you don’t stroke the right people — you get the shaft.
Thanks Bianca — short termed as it is, you still have it on your resume as being former Police Chief.
Sean is a low-level lover of the delusional.
He will do as commanded by his buds at the assembly and we know what lovers of the law they are.
Typical progressives. Dump the qualified woman (who may be a minority at that) for a pliable white man.
And yet women and minorities continue to vote democrat…
Meanwhile, Republicans should all check in with their AIPAC handkets for a proper response, right?
Um, “handkets”? I assume you meant “handlers” and passed on proofreading your comment. Also, AIPAC? The only such entity I found by that name is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. I have zero clue of how they’re relevant to this topic.
Focus, child.
Stop hitting the pipe in the middle of the day.
That’s so 1990s. Please come up with something more recent.
What are the odds that the new police chief will be soft on vagrants, criminals, drug dealers, but tough on anything conservative?
Buckle up los Anchorage things are going to get worse
Bianca Cross is way too qualified, she has to go.
Rigged elections have serious consequences Lisa murkowski imagine you are the worse most evil fake ashamed of you Alaskans are rank choice you stole my vote I ask GOD for vengeance. We are suppose to work hard my GOD she has worked her way up from the bottom leave her shine. Boooooooooo rank choice voting & all who went along an oath to GOD matters first & foremost to GOD & we the people.
I’m genuinely worried about your mental health. God wants you to seek help.
Not to mention your complete disregard for grammar and sentence structure.
Dustin?
Great.
Chief of police who will be bowing to the corrupt leftist assembly.
Crimes about to soar.
So much faster.
So if we follow the pattern of the what the Bronson haters have been posting here………
La France is inept! La France is racist! La France is appointing her cronies! La France is an incompetent fool!
Hey this is kinda fun..now we get to spend years trolling the trolls, haha. As bad as things are about to get we are gonna need a good laugh.
As desperate as you ought to be at this point, I’d think you’d be willing to try anything for improvement.
Elections have consequences.
Interesting, although no one seemed to care much when it happened during the last change in administration for the City or the State of Alaska for that matter.
Mike, most administrations fire the people from the last administration, who were appointed by their then boss. I remember a big brouhaha when Bush fired 50 DOJ lawyers and Mike Dunvealy fired people like Libby Bakalar, while there wasn’t a peep when Clinton or Obama, or Bill Walker for that matter did similar things upon taking office.
I believe this is notable, because a) Suzanne LaFrance isn’t in office yet and b) she clothes herself in the Diversity Equity and Inclusion mantel firing the poster child for her ideology.(Proving once and for all that it is bunk) Don’t get me wrong she can arrange her administration the way she see fit, but the optics here are not in her favor.
Anyone doing a deep dive into how much Sean donated to the LaFrance money machine????
Asking for a friend.
Count your blessings chief cross. Anchorage is a sinking ship you are lucky to escape.
The police are not actually policing anymore they are hired executioners.
I moved out of Anchorage three years ago after living there 31 years. A main reason I left were the actions of the assembly and how the city has gone downhill. There are great neighborhoods in Anchorage but sadly, they are not the majority. Plus people just don’t vote out the insanity we are seeing today. Chief Cross appears to have been a pretty decent appointment. I hope she finds a city that will appreciate her and her talents.
It appears that Chief Cross’ police experience and resume may be troublesome to the new LeFrance administration. Too much law and order and not enough ‘catch & release’ apparently. So as Anchorage slides into the mindset of climate change hysteria brought to you by the leftest mayor & her adoring Assembly, Anchorage will focus on criminals being victims and business being heartless. What to do? Stop voting for leftists who masquerade as democrats
Cross.just sit back and watch.good deeds will come to you again.racist is at the top again.but God have you
So the first female Mayor of Anchorage disses the first female Police Chief of Anchorage….only because the Chief was a Bronson appointment…..DEI when convenient but SOS when not!
There was that chick that looked like she got right out of The Mystery Machine, Ala Scooby Doo. What was her name???
A lot of complaining, but no one pushing to get rid of the voting machines and reviewing how it all came to be. You have to do more than complain on your computer to make changes. Lived in Anchorage for 15 years, watched the taking over of the Assembly by minority minded groups. All done by supposedly great elections. All Alaska news and media controlled by people outside of the State. Concerning homeless, keep building, they will come. In the end, if Anchorage is representing the majority’s wishes, great. If not, get out and make positive changes by getting off your couch. Somewhere, the majority has a voice, and it is time that it is heard.