Pedestrian fatalities in Anchorage jumped by 150% in 2024, a surge that follows the Assembly’s decision to eliminate penalties for jaywalking. In October of 2023, the Anchorage Assembly ordinance went into effect, removing fines for crossing streets outside of marked or unmarked crosswalks. In the year that followed, the Anchorage Police Department’s inaugural annual report shows a sharp rise in deadly pedestrian-involved car crashes and deaths, part of a broader increase in fatal collisions across the city.
The 2024 Annual Report by the Anchorage Police Department details public safety operations, crime statistics, officer activity, and internal affairs and is a snapshot of law enforcement trends in the state’s largest city, covering violent crime, arrests, traffic incidents, and complaints about officers. The report does not link Assembly policy with the increase in pedestrian deaths.
Below is a breakdown of the major findings highlighted in the 2024 report:
Violent and Property Crime
- Homicides: 34 reported in 2024.
- Assaults and Robberies: 2,094 combined incidents.
- Burglaries: 923 reported cases.
- Missing Persons: 518 reports; 40 individuals remain missing.
- Officer-Involved Shootings: 8 incidents, resulting in 5 suspect fatalities.
Traffic Enforcement and Fatalities
- Traffic Citations: 29,118 total, marking a 2% decrease from 2023.
- Speeding Citations: 10,697 (15 fewer than in 2023).
- Operating Under the Influence (OUI): 1,476 total
- 292 OUI incidents involved collisions.
- 1,184 OUI incidents did not involve collisions.
- Total OUIs were down 84 compared to 2023.
- Fatal Crashes:
- Overall fatal crashes increased 93%.
- Non-pedestrian fatal crashes rose 27%.
- Pedestrian fatalities surged 150%.
- One-third of fatal crashes involved speeding.
- 75% involved alcohol and/or drugs.
- 29 fatal crashes recorded in 2024—the highest since 2005.
Officer-Initiated Activity
- Officer-Initiated Arrests: 38,697.
- Officer-Initiated Activity (Non-Arrest): 4,270 incidents.
- Subject Stops: 8,465.
- Traffic Stops: 34,147.
Internal Affairs and Commendations
- Complaints Received: 335.
- Complaints Investigated: 335 (100% investigation rate).
- Commendations Issued: 504.
- Sustained Complaints: 98.
- Unsustained Complaints: 237.
Top Five Complaint Categories:
- General Conduct: 109 allegations.
- Duty Requirements: 103 allegations.
- Use of Police Vehicles: 93 allegations.
- Obedience to Laws: 38 allegations.
- Response to Resistance: 38 allegations.
Use-of-Force Incidents
- Grab Holds: 1,165.
- Pinnings or Pryings: 249.
- Vehicle Blocking or Box-ins: 176.
- Other Takedown Techniques: 172.
- Figure four takedown: 120.
- Vehicle pin: 103.
- Tackle: 75.
- Thigh lock: 744.
- Push-pull takedown: 70.
- Miscellaneous Use of Force (“Other”): 148.
Read the annual report for 2024 at this link.