Anchorage mayor proposes $1.8 million annual bond that would give police body cameras

Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz is proposing to put a $1.8 million annual bond on the April ballot so that voters can decide whether to fund a technology overhaul for the police department, which would include providing body cameras for officers.

The proposal was introduced during a Public Safety Committee on Wednesday.

In June, Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll announced that the department planned to look for a way to add body cameras in response to requests from the community and Assembly members. He said during Wednesday’s meeting that it took longer than he would have liked to get the proposal finished because the department realized that much of the technology was outdated and in need of replacement.

Body-worn cameras are regularly used by police departments around the country and are used by many of Alaska’s police departments along the road system. The state’s two largest law enforcement agencies, Anchorage police and the Alaska State Troopers, have not yet implemented them.

A nationwide movement for police reform following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sparked renewed calls from the community and Assembly for the department to implement body cameras.

Doll said Anchorage police have gone without the equipment for years because of the high cost. The department, he said, is supportive of body cameras.

“Generally, they tend to show that our officers are doing the right things for the right reasons, but they definitely help us find those times when maybe they don’t,” Doll said.

[Earlier coverage: Anchorage police don’t wear body cameras, but officials say that could change amid national calls for reform]

Much of the department’s technology is outdated and needs to be replaced so the systems can work cohesively, Doll said. The $1.8 million proposal would allow the department to lease new digital evidence management, computer-aided dispatch and record management systems in addition to providing officers with body cameras and installing new in-car cameras.

By leasing the equipment through an annual subscription service, the department would be able to use continually updated gear, reduce maintenance costs and save employee time by having the storage and backups managed by the vendor, according to the mayor’s proposal.

The department currently pays $360,000 a year for dispatch and records systems. The subscription service would total $2.2 million annually, which would mean the department would need an additional $1.84 million each year.

The proposal calls for a property tax increase of $5.32 per every $100,000 in home value.

The department is still forming policy around how officers should use the body cameras and in what situations they should be turned off to protect officer or citizen privacy.

The committee plans to hold a public hearing for the proposal in the coming months. Municipal Manager Bill Falsey said he hopes to have the proposal approved by the Anchorage Assembly by January so it can be placed on April’s ballot.