The Anchorage Daily News calls the resignation of Anchorage Police Chief Ken McCoy “abrupt,” even though the chief announced he will be staying on the force until February. The chief has worked for over 27 years for the Anchorage Police Department.
In its second story about McCoy’s resignation, the newspaper recounted how unhappy the Alaska Black Caucus is now that McCoy is leaving and insinuated that it was due to the Bronson Administration, saying that members of the black community have “many unanswered questions.”
The definition of race-bating is “the unfair use of statements about race to try to influence the actions or attitudes of a particular group of people,” according to Merriam-Webter Dictionary.
“As Anchorage’s first Black police chief, McCoy’s appointment was a moment to celebrate, they said, and his decision to retire left them surprised and saddened,” the newspaper reported on Dec. 7, six days after its initial report that the chief was retiring.
Those close to the chief say he was offered a job that will pay him vastly more than the department currently does.
But the followup story goes on to insinuate that something more is at stake, and works the narrative overtime to make the case.
“The mayor did not address McCoy’s retirement until the morning after the announcement,” the writers note, and then continue for several paragraphs to build a case for things being not quite right about McCoy’s departure, and how unhappy the black community is about it.
McCoy was appointed acting police chief by acting mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson, after the resignation of Chief Justin Doll in April.
“McCoy’s retirement was a shock to many, said Rev. Undra Parker of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. Parker helped rally support for him alongside the Alaska Black Caucus. McCoy announced his retirement late Tuesday evening through Nixle, the police department’s opt-in notification system. Before that, it was not addressed internally in the department, said Jeremy Conkling, president of the police union,” the ADN reported.
“McCoy is well-respected and widely liked because he worked to connect with all of Anchorage’s communities, Parker said,” the story continued.
And then it rehashed the history of McCoy, something it did not do when former Chief Justin Doll announced his retirement in February.
“While campaigning, Bronson said he would not automatically appoint McCoy to the position, but would consider all options. Scores of community members, especially people of color, threw their support behind McCoy, Parker said.”
The Alaska Black Caucus was revitalized in 2020 after having been dormant for decades. The Anchorage Assembly majority quickly awarded the group over $1.6 million in CARES Act money to perform Covid vaccine outreach, and to buy a building to house its organization. The group is a surrogate for the Alaska Democratic Party.
