Anchorage Police Chief Ken McCoy has announced that he’ll retire from the Anchorage Police Department in February.
In a statement Tuesday evening, McCoy said his decision came after “much reflection and thoughtful consideration,” but he did not provide a specific reason for retiring less than a year after he was named police chief.
McCoy has been with APD for 27 years. He became acting police chief in April after Justin Doll retired, under acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson. In June, Mayor Dave Bronson appointed him as police chief and he was confirmed by the Assembly.
McCoy is the first Black Anchorage police chief. He cited building community trust as his top priority when he began the job. Among the changes he planned to implement was having body-worn cameras for officers, a proposal that’s still in the planning stages.
“I could not have achieved success on my own, it’s always been a team effort and I’ve been blessed to work alongside some of the finest professionals in law enforcement,” McCoy wrote in a statement Tuesday. “As I close this chapter, I’m overcome with pride for this department and what we’ve accomplished together.”
An APD spokeswoman said McCoy is not making any additional statements at this time.
McCoy says his last day with APD will be Feb. 1, 2022.
[Sign up for Alaska Public Media’s daily newsletter to get our top stories delivered to your inbox.]
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
