Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle was unanimously confirmed at the Anchorage Assembly meeting on Tuesday. He was sworn-in as the Anchorage Chief of Police on Wednesday at the Anchorage Police Headquarters.
Kerle was appointed after former Chief Ken McCoy stepped down to become chief equity officer at Providence Alaska Medical Center, where he appears to be launching his political career. McCoy’s first act upon leaving office was to appear in his police uniform in an ad for Bill Walker for governor.
Chief Kerle began his law enforcement career in 1996 when he joined APD as a recruit in the Academy. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in February of 2020.
Over the course of over two decades at APD, he has held positions in the Patrol Division, Special Operations, and Crime Suppression.
Chief Kerle has a bachelor of science degree from the University of New York, is a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership Graduate Program and the Administrative Officer’s Course from the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville, the FBI Hazardous Devices Executive Management School and the SWAT Commander’s School.
Chief Kerle and his wife Grace have been married since 1995.
Kerle shared the following statement: “Thank you to our Anchorage community who recognize, and greatly appreciate, the sacrifice and dedication of our police officers, and their willingness to put their lives on the line to protect others. Strong relationships of mutual trust between the police agencies and the communities they serve are critical to maintaining public safety and effective policing. To those members of the community that are hesitant or reluctant to trust or work with our department, let us communicate through fact based dialogue to resolve our differences in order for all members of our community to feel safe and build on the future through mutual cooperation.”
