Anchorage Assembly’s move toward “reimagining public safety” is being launched as the governing body for 40% of the population of the state authorized a task force aimed at reviving the former Public Safety Advisory Commission, but with a new mission.
While the effort is being promoted as a way to enhance community involvement in public safety decisions, it is actually part of a broader national trend toward replacing traditional policing with ideologically driven alternatives rooted in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movement. The goal is not law enforcement, so much as good relationships with criminals.
The task force was authorized under AR 2025-111, a resolution sponsored by Assembly Vice Chair Anna Brawley and Assembly Members Kameron Perez-Verdia, and Felix Rivera. The resolution calls for a diverse group of stakeholders, including law enforcement, municipal departments, school district representatives, and community organizations, to participate in developing recommendations for a new advisory commission. Political consultant Denali Daniels + Associates will be paid to facilitate.
Assembly Member Felix Rivera, a Democrat who first moved to Anchorage to work for former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, will help lead the task force. He said the goal is to create a more inclusive conversation around public safety.
“It’s essential that the community helps shape the future of public safety in Anchorage,” Rivera said. The term “community” has variable meanings in the leftist political vocabulary.
The nationwide “reimagining public safety” movement gained traction in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests in 2020, after Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer who was subduing a violent and drugged criminal ended up being arrested, tried, and convicted for the man’s death. Chauvin is serving a 22-year federal sentence, even though subsequent evidence shows that George Floyd died from drugs, a fact still being disputed by Black Lives Matter agitators.
The reimagined police movement prioritizes reducing police involvement in many areas of public life and redirecting resources to alternative responses such as mental health professionals, social workers, and community mediators. There’s less focus on stopping crime or arresting criminals.
Supporters of the “reimagining” say it’s the police department’s job to address the root causes of crime, such as poverty, mental illness, and trauma, and that police must work to build trust between “marginalized communities” and public institutions.
This approach has led to dangerous gaps in enforcement, lower police morale, and less accountability in cities where similar reforms have been tried, such as San Francisco and Oakland. In Anchorage, where crime, drug use, and chronic vagrancy have grown to crisis levels, the task force’s probable “soft on crime” recommendations may further weaken already strained public safety systems.
The Assembly’s resolution aligns with key principles of the equity-driven model: Reducing police roles in non-violent incidents, emphasizing community-centered engagement, and investing in social services instead of law enforcement infrastructure.
Anchorage’s previous Public Safety Advisory Commission was dissolved in part due to its limited influence and unclear mandate. Rather than strengthening law enforcement oversight through improved structures, the Assembly’s new approach appears to seek a fundamentally different model, one centered on non-police voices and restorative justice frameworks, in line with the broader national campaign by Democrats to replace traditional public safety institutions with ideologically motivated alternatives.
Meetings began June 26. The next one is July 10, with information available at this Anchorage Municipality link.
Anchorage is now the candy @&& city
Has the time come to Anchorage Borough and the municipality that we call the FBI and DOJ for protection? The works of APD today and with the fluffy assembly we have and giddy mayor, that the citizens need to call the FBI and the DOJ for the protection our tax dollars pay for since those groups have decided to be fluffy little angels and can’t do their jobs.
I know, let’s go to another staged meeting to clap hands and cheer on the people that were hired to do a job they are well compensated for and can’t seem to give themselves the kick in the pants to go to work. Shall we stand around and bite our nails to appease the fluffy assembly and the giddy mayor?
Is it Los Anchorage or San LaFrancecisco now? 🤣
I was kind when people were attacking me or mine when I lived in Anchorage. I had the ability, luckily, in those situations to pull my gun and not fire right away, thus giving the perps an opportunity to change their ways instantly. I had the advantage of not having to deal with a perp with a gun, however. They only had knives or baseball bats. Their realizations that I had but to pull the trigger seemed to change their attitudes rather quickly.
What would happen if stupid arrogant people were put in charge. This is a question I had as a teen. Well, this is a great example. This is tragic and will turn Anchorage into Seattle anti-police state. Mediocrity and incompetence will be the norm and public at large will see a do nothing department. You none voters to Municipal elections are responsible. This is so bad.
Sorry. As a retired cop who worked in Seattle for a number of years. This does not work. As will all endeavors, you need the right tool for the right job. And you can’t break rocks with a buffer. You meet people at their level. Hugs for thugs has never worked. The problem with people that rise to the level of Chief in most larger police departments is they are politically motivated, and never spent enough time in a patrol car to even be competent at the job. You don’t turn cops into social workers. That is what social workers are for. Patrol officers respond, assess, and then send people to the proper resources when needed. It does not mean that you can’t police with compassion. You find the right people in the hiring process that can shift gears for the right situation. The problem is, people that are attracted to the greatest job on earth generally don’t want to work for guys like this. If you promote from within, your bosses better have credibility.
Great comments, T.M. Why is it that every idea that fails so dramatically in every major city in the US, has to be tried to failure here in Anchorage? Why can’t our ‘leadership’ learn?
in what bizarrio world of fiction does policing equate to kind?
Let’s get real here. Policing is more than just arresting people. There is the public outreach part of it that can help to prevent crimes, but in reality, police enforce the law.
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And, sorry leftists, but enforcing the law more often than not means force. Bummer if you disagree, but it is force, and the threat of force that stops bad actors from taking action. Number one reason why a mugger/rapist will pass over a potential victim in favor of another one? The first looks like they will fight back.
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But… nope. Because some stat says the police are not being kind to some protected class, the entire city must suffer.
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Why do the leftists adore criminals so much, and abhor the law abiding?
Another point.
The law does not exist to protect the innocent from the criminals.
It exists to protect the criminals from their potential victims.
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Read that a few times to actually understand the reality of it.
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Without the law, and those that will enforce it, the public would take action. A teenager gets raped, a grandmother gets mugged, someone is murdered. Without the law, and law enforcement, those close to the victim would take action and likely destroy those that offended them. Leading to anarchy. Rooftop Koreans spring to mind. Thankfully, those defending their shops had enough discipline to not pull the trigger, and those looting were not stupid enough to approach.
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But… here is Anchorage, openly declaring the police will no longer enforce the law to the extent they used to. What will the average citizen do? Will this result in less crime? I doubt it. In fact, it may push the law abiding into committing crimes unwittingly.
“……. The goal is not law enforcement, so much as good relationships with criminals……..’
Actually, it’s neither. It’s a classic liberal attempt to somehow end police shooting criminals who refuse to cooperate. Body cams were intended to end police shootings, too, but it backfired. Now we can all see that these criminals beg for it. This is akin to liberal gun control advocacy, believing that if they can magically control gun ownership (they can’t) they can control crime (it won’t). It’s attempted social engineering via emotion.
Want to save criminals lives? Build prisons, and fill them up. Stop the revolving door because you don’t have enough beds. We need enough prison beds of all kinds (minimum security, maximum security, medium security, criminally insane, halfway house, juvenile, etc) to house at least 5% of our total population. All whining otherwise is a big part of the problem (unless the argument is that we need more than 5%). If we fail, they will revolve in and out until, eventually, police shoot them resisting arrest.
Not voting and not getting involved in your community has consequences.
Here I was ‘reimagining’ it becoming more safe and clean again, with the homeless population more orderly and refined.
Seems it time to reimagine the Assembly into a more appropriate role. Maybe homeless camp cleanup along with some direct interaction with the homeless, bringing necessary social rehabilitation to those in need is more in line with what these ideologues should be doing. With brilliance like theirs, it should be a snap.
Dear Lord…there goes my plan to rent my house out.
This is exactly what we do not need our police to be focusing on. They need to enforce with a strong hand. The laws we have now, if not the homeless, drug dealers, thieves, robbers, rapist, and murderers will just continue to attack the good tax paying members of this community.
After all the blather to increase pensions because ” we need more cops!!” They do the thing that will be a giant red flag to any that might consider signing up ” come here and never t be allowed to do your job and get back stabbed by the city!” That’s going to attract quality people, suuuure!
“It’s essential that the community helps shape the future of public safety in Anchorage,” Rivera said.
Yes, sir!
Are you teaching the next concealed carry class, Rivera?
Yes, that’s an excellent idea! Let’s make sure our police show more kindness to the criminals! They should say please and thank you and have a nice day??? Meanwhile the rapes, murders, robberies drug and alcohol offenses sky rocket!!! This is pure insanity and the innocent law abiding citizens will pay dearly for this BS!!!
The electorate should be proud…